Yellow-throated Warbler

Status Rare vagrant. The first Nova Scotia record was of one noted by Evelyn Richardson on Bon Portage Island on 4 December 1960. Since then there have been about 23 records of 25 individuals. Only three have occurred in spring: on Sable Island on 7 June 1968, and on Brier Island on 30 April 1983 and 6-7 May 1984. Reverse fall migrants have been more regular. A seasonally early bird on Cape Sable on 23 July 1962 was well described by Gerald Smith. The rest have been found between 22 August and 14 December (the last staying until 17 December 1983 near Ben Eoin, Cape Breton County). Apart from the Cape Breton Island bird and one in Dartmouth on 11 November 1980, all our records came from mainland Shelburne County or Sable, Seal, Cape Sable, or Brier islands. The first to be confirmed was photographed by David Higgins on Sable Island on 22 August 1968, and several have been photographed since.

Remarks This warbler breeds in the southeastern United States, north to central Illinois, Ohio and New Jersey. Its face pattern and yellow throat are unmistakable. Both yellow-lored and white-lored birds have been seen and photographed in the province. The white-lored birds are members of the subspecies Dendroica dominica albilora, which nests west of the Alleghenies, mainly in the Mississippi Valley, and the yellow lored birds may be mostly Dendroica dominica dominica from the southeastern seaboard of the United States.