Wilson's Warbler, maybe? (1 Viewer)

I was just down on the river that runs through my place (Arkansas river, south-central Colorado mountains) and saw a little bird that was a golden-green, pecking around the mud at water's edge. The closest I could come in my bird book was a Wilson's Warbler. However, the golden stripe over the eye wrapped all the way around the head, under the dark dome, seeming to be even more "bright" around the back of the head. I could not see the underside because I was above, looking down. The back looked more uniform in color than the book makes out. And the bird looked a little more fleet and lean than the book.

Sounds Wilsonesque to me. No other warbler has a black cap like that afaik.

compare with the images seen here and remember that the details you see here can only be seen in ideal conditions: https://ebird.org/species/wlswar

Niels

I agree this sounds like a Wilson's Warbler. I have just spent the last week in the Colorado mountains and that was one of the most common birds I saw.

I want to thank you all for your replies.

My wife and I went back down to the river, sat and watched. We saw what I *think* are Wilson's Warblers, though they are thinner than those in the photos on the link provided here by njlarson. It may be that we are looking down on top of them. They almost look like large humming birds and they jet around over the water, landing on the rocks and mud on either side.

The bird that I saw looked like the other ones that my wife and I saw, with one exception: The bright yellow halo went clear around the head and was very distinct in the back of the head, too. Further, while the cap was there, and it was black, it was not as distinctly black as the photo. But the yellow ring is what got my attention. The yellow line on the other birds went around the front and sides of the head, but did not completely circle the head.

All the best. Jim.

Female Hooded Warbler? They can a little black on crown, are often near or on ground. You often see them flicking their tail, which has lots of white on the inner webs of the outer tail feathers.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-1...ched-on-a-branch-in-ribeira-de-177635261.html

Andy

Kratter said:

Female Hooded Warbler? They can a little black on crown, are often near or on ground. You often see them flicking their tail, which has lots of white on the inner webs of the outer tail feathers.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-1...ched-on-a-branch-in-ribeira-de-177635261.html

Andy

Click to expand...

Hooded is even less likely to have the yellow surround the black crown patch.
But as you point out, it is a potential alternative.