Brewster's Warbler - Michigan - 2017

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The Brewster's Warbler (photos 3-6), first identified by William Brewster in 1874, is a hybrid of Blue-winged (photo 1) and Golden-winged Warblers (photo 2).

Larger versions of horizontally oriented images can be seen by clicking on the image.

Blue-winged Warbler - Michigan - May 2017

Blue-winged Warbler - Michigan - May 2017. Note the white wing bars and the yellow throat.

Golden-winged Warbler - Michigan - May 2017

Golden-winged Warbler - Michigan - May 2017. Note black throat and golden wing bars.

Brewster's Warbler - Michigan - May 2017

Brewster's Warbler - Michigan - May 2017

The Brewster's Warbler is the product of a first-generation cross between Blue-winged and Golden-winged birds. It has a white throat, the black eyeline of Blue-winged and yellowish wing bars and yellow cap of Golden-winged.

Brewster's Warbler - Michigan - May 2017

Brewster's Warbler - Michigan - May 2017

Brewster's Warbler - Michigan - May 2017

Brewster's Warbler - Michigan - May 2017

Brewster's Warbler - Michigan - May 2017

Brewster's Warbler - Michigan - May 2017

I have not seen the much rarer hybrid, Lawrence's Warbler,  which is based upon a combination of recessive genes. For more information about hybrids of Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers, check out the link below.

http://www.aba.org/birding/v37n3p278.pdf

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David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit.