Palm Warbler (Dendroica palmarum), along the Santa Cruz River south of Cortaro Road, Pima County

This Palm Warbler was discovered by Jerry Bock and Keith Kamper on 2 March 2011 and was photographed by Andrew Core on 3 March 2011.

Palm Warbler is a casual transient and winter visitor. There are over 50 records for the state and for a while it was removed from the Arizona Bird Committee Review list, but, like some other boreal breeding warblers, its occurrence in Arizona in recent years has declined and it was returned to the review list. There have been several recent records perhaps indicating it is increasing again.

Lemon-yellow undertail coverts. General drab, gray-brown coloration elsewhere with dark eye line and long, pale supercillium. The bird also constantly bobbed its tail as it moved around, which is a key characteristic of this species. Brown underparts indicate western subspecies.

03 March 2011, photo by Andrew Core