Black-throated Green

One of our boreal forest warblers

A mid September photo of a migrating Black-throated Green in northern MN

One of my favorite of the wood warblers is the Black-throated Green. With their distinctive markings and desire to forage in the middle of trees versus way high up, this warbler is easier to identify than many. This colorful species is fairly abundant, less of a conservation concern than other warblers, and is a common breeder in the northeastern “arrowhead” of Minnesota.

This male has quite a large splash of yellow on its belly

The sounds of this warbler are distinctive too and easier to remember from year to year. From the xeno-canto.org website:

When warblers flit around in the trees, they are so hard to photograph. The camera’s auto focus struggles with all the layers of tree branches and the bird’s movement. I will leave you with what turned out to be a good action one in this session with the Black-throated Green. This bird was shot in the act of landing on a branch with the surrounding pine tips all lit up by the sun. Always a treat to see them!