Expert: Julia Booth - 8/24/2008

Question
QUESTION: last fall we had a flock of yellow birds visit us and they are back.  Larger than a gold finch, but no black on the head.  Looks like a prothonotary warbler for size and coloring, but has distinct wing bars. Likes the hyssop and liatrus as well as oak leaves.  What is it?

ANSWER: A prothonotary warbler is basically the same size as the goldfinch. It has a longer, more needle-like beak.

It sounds like it could be the Lawrence's Warbler, which is a hybrid species. Here is an image: http://images-partners-tbn.google.com/images?q=tbn:4z0phfJfcItJbM:www.birderswor

If that's not it, let me know. There are a number of warblers that might fit your ID. It's probably one of those. The Western Tanager is a little too big, I think.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: It can't be a Lawrence's warbler.  There's no black on the head.  The head is a soft yellow. unlike the hard yellow of a goldfinch.  There's a tinge of rose to the breasr.  Bigger than a goldfinch.  A female/juvenile oriole would be a possibility, but the head is definitely yellow, not olive.  We see it at various times of day.  Southern NH.  Wing bars, some markings around the eyes.  It's been a great bird autumn.  Lots and lots of warblers, but this bird defies a name.

Answer
My immediate thought is a female Summer or Hepatic Tanager, which can appear completely yellow. But you said you saw an entire flock of them. It's doubtful they were all female.

When you say markings around the eyes, do you mean an eyebrow, an eye ring or something else? What color are the wing bars? Are they dark?

Sorry, I'm just not coming up with anything that meets this specific description.

Here is a checklist for birds in southern NH: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/chekbird/r5/greatbay.htm

I don't know if that might be helpful to you or not.

Also bear in mind that the plumage of the Goldfinch varies by season. If you could take a picture of the birds in question, even if it's not a very good one, I'd have a much better chance of giving you an ID.

Julia