Credit: Julio Mulero
North American field guide
Swainson's Warbler
Limnothlypis swainsonii
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Identification
Field notes
14 cm (5-6") Uncommon. Southeastern United States. Wooded swamps, bogs, streams, canebrakes; rare in rhododendron thickets in some mountains.
Unstreaked rusty or brown cap. Light eyebrow stripe. Brown unstreaked back. Plain off-white below. Similar Worm-eating Warbler has a striped crown.
A challenge to see; a real secret and inactive skulker.
Song: whistles like song of Louisiana Waterthrush, loud chip call.
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Videos
Swainson's Warbler
Credit: Lang Elliott's Nature ChannelWhere it lives
Distribution map
Source legend · original intervals
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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant · 1 rule
These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.
Swainson's Warbler
1 ruleRule 1 18 criteria · confidence 2
- Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?
- No · Unknown
- Were the SIDES STREAKED, SPOTTED or BARRED ?
- No · Unknown
- Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?
- No · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?
- Uniform · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- Olive (yellowish-green) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BELLY ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Olive (yellowish-green) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
- Uniform color · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Olive (yellowish-green) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What colour was the THROAT ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Olive (yellowish-green) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and slender · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Short · Medium · Unknown
- What colour were the CHEEKS ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Olive (yellowish-green) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What were the EYE markings if any ?
- Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · Dark STRIPE THROUGH the eye · Unknown
- Was the HEAD striped ?
- No · Unknown
- What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
- Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Warbler-like
- WHERE was the bird seen ?
- Southeastern United States