Palm Warbler (Dendroica palmarum), Pena Blanca Lake, Santa Cruz County

This Palm Warbler was discovered and photographed by Laurens Halsey on 24 September 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.

24 September 2011, photo by Laurens Halsey

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