The Cape May warbler is named after Cape May, New Jersey where the specimen was collected that was first identified with the name. However, the warbler was not seen there in the next 100 years, but is now an uncommon migrant there.
Males have a brown back, yellow rump, dark brown crown, yellow throat and nape, a chestnut patch on the face surrounded by yellow and a black eye-stripe and yellow underparts streaked with black. Females are washed-out versions of the male.
It breeds through eastern southern Canada, mid-central Canada, the Great Lakes area and New England. It migrates to the West Indies where it spends the winter.
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| Cape May warbler range from Wikipedia. |
I saw a Cape May warbler at Hotel Mockingbird Hill near Port Antonio in northeastern Jamaica in February of this year. However, I was disappointed in the fact that I was only able to photograph the underside.
In Central Park in New York City in May I was able to get photos of the upperparts of a Cape May Warbler and was very happy to get a better view of this beautiful bird.
It is fun to have seen it close to both ends of the migration route. The one I saw in New York must have been traveling north to New England or Canada.
The contrast between the two siting locations is pretty stark. Wow. The black stripes on the sides and belly give it a streamlined appearance, just what you'd expect for a bird that makes such a long migration.
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