Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata auduboni)

The Yellow-rumped is one of the most common warblers in North America. It is also one of the hardiest with many individuals staying through the winter. The name coronata refers to the concealed yellow crown patch which is barely visible in this photo. This is an abundant wintering bird in the lowlands of California, but breeding in the mountains and to the North. This is the typical Western form S. c. auduboni formerly known as "Audubon's Warbler" which has a yellow throat. It is still treated as a separate species by IOC and HBW, but lumped with "Myrtle Warbler" by Clements and AOS based on extensive hybridization in their zone of contact in the Southern Canadian Rockies. Some authors also split the race breeding in the mountains of Guatemala as a separate species, "Goldman's Warbler." All formerly placed in the genus Dendroica.