Black-throated Warblers! 10/5/2024.

I had heard of a Black-throated Green Warbler and a Black-throated Blue Warbler and have had the pleasure of seeing both species of birds. I spotted a Black-throated Green in Sharon, MA during spring migration and then, again, in January in Costa Rica. The Black-throated Blue was also seen in its wintering grounds of Costa Rica in the same month of January as well as in FL the following May. Both of these species of warblers are found east of the Rockies so they are spotted in MA during spring and fall migration.

I had never heard of a Black-throated Gray Warbler until a Rhode Island Rare Bird Alert mentioned that one was being seen around Walker Farm just over the MA border near Providence. I quickly headed out to see this bird, which, unlike the Black-throated Green and Black-throated Blue, is found west of the Rockies so this was a rare bird indeed! A few other birders were there when I arrived, and we got fleeting glimpses and then it disappeared. We looked around for another hour, and the warbler was finally located on the opposite side of the field, and we all got great looks. The Black-throated Gray Warbler has a beautiful black and white facial pattern, a gray back, and a distinct yellow, loral spot.

As the name implies, these three warblers sport black throats with the females being more drab compared to the males and with a less distinct black throat. The exception is the female Black-throated Blue Warbler which is green overall and not blue. The color difference reminded me of the Red-legged Honeycreepers that I saw in Costa Rica where the males were a bright blue and the females were a bright green. Both, however, had those bright green legs!

The pictures below are of the Black-throated Gray Warbler that I took on October 5th at Walker Farm.