Birds

Diabolical Confusing Fall Warbler ID Quiz

August 30, 2008 by Corey 5 Comments

I’m going to pretend for a bit that the identification of drably-plumaged, migrating fall warblers moving through treetops, hiding behind leaves, and using the sun against the birder isn’t hard enough.  You know, because finding and identifying warblers with sometimes-cryptic field marks while trying to avoid the pain of warbler neck is simply too easy.  And thus is born perhaps the most diabolicalist diabolical identification quiz yet: the Diabolical Confusing Fall Warbler ID Quiz.  To participate, one needs only to guess the identities of the birds in the two following pictures.  The first to get both correct will win, well, let’s see here…the first to get both correct will win the right to kick in 5 USDollars to the Small African Fellowship for Conservation.  Bonus points if one can age/sex the birds.

Bird number one was recently spotted in Queens, foraging behind some leaves…

Diabolical Confusing Fall Warbler Quiz 1

Bird number two was spotted in very similar circumstances…

Diabolical Confusing Fall Warbler Quiz 2

Is this quiz diabolical enough for you?  Well, answer in the comments and good luck!  The official answers will be along eventually (maybe Monday).

Written by Corey
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.