I need a Warbler ID. Lemon?

[Tonji Ramos]

Sorry about the poor photo. This is purely docu quality only.

We took this bird during our last trip in the Northern Sierra Madre.

Its a fast moving bird. We have taken lots of Arctic Warblers already with the yellow wash so I guess this can either be a Lemon Throated or an Arctic. Nicky said he thinks the birds we were seeing were Lemon Throated.

I would like to ask the experts their opinion. Again sorry about the very bad picture.

[paulbourdin]

Looks like Arctic to me. I can see a clear wing-bar, not usually present on Lemon-throated I believe.

[Tonji Ramos]

Hi Paul,

Yes there is a wing bar in this picture. This is why this is the one I posted. It also looks like an Arctic to me, but I was told a lot of the warblers in that area I was in were Lemon.

I just want to make sure my records are correct. Thanks for taking the time out to give it a look.

[des]

I agree with Paul. We don't have a good view but the supercilium is long and even, and seems to extend on to the forehead. There is no impression of crescents above and below the eye. There is no contrasting yellowness on the undertail area. It looks just like an Arctic.
But there were a lot of Lemon-throated at Hamut when I was last there, as well as Arctic, and even one that some of us believe to be a Yellow-browed.
Des

[Tonji Ramos]

Thanks Des.

I had my doubts as well because of the wing bar. Do Lemon-throated birds really have no wing bar?

We were about to submit our trip report. We will make the changes.

Always nice to have experts to help out.

Tonji.

[des]

I haven't seen one with a wingbar, but young birds often have pale fringes to coverts, so perhaps sometimes it does.
But Arctic Warbler has recently been split into several species, based on DNA and calls. Now there are Kamchatka leaf warbler and Japanese Leaf Warbler to look out for too!
A google search for Arctic warbler splits will lead you to various articles, etc.