Setophaga virens virens
Status: Uncommon regular spring and fall migrant east and east central, rare casual west central and west.
Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM12010, 14 Sep 1911 Crawford, Dawes Co (Zimmer 1912).
Taxonomy: Two subspecies have been recognized (Pyle 1997) but are now considered undiagnosable, leaving the species monotypic (Morse and Poole 2020, Gill et al 2022): virens, breeding throughout most of the North American range, and waynei, breeding in coastal southeast Virginia and eastern South Carolina.
Nebraska migrants are virens if subspecies are recognized.
This species hybridizes with Townsend’s Warbler; for a Nebraska record, see the Townsend’s x Black-throated Green Warbler species account.
Spring: Apr 29, 30, 30 <<<>>> May 28, 29, 29 (Jorgensen 2012)
An earlier date is 23 Apr 2016.
Later dates are 1 Jun 1995 Schramm SP, Sarpy Co, and 2 Jun 2012 Fontenelle Forest, Sarpy Co, 7 Jun 2007 Dawes Co, and 8-11 Jun 2016 singing Fontenelle Forest.
Migrants occur mostly during May.
There are five Panhandle reports: 20 May 2014 Kimball, Kimball Co, 21-22 May 2022 Oliver Reservoir, Kimball Co, 22 May 1983 Sioux Co, 23 May 2022 Scotts Bluff Co, and 7 Jun 2007 Dawes Co. Close to the Panhandle were two singing males at Lake Ogallala, Keith Co 15 May 2004, and one at Venango, Perkins Co 7-8 May 2016.
Bruner et al (1904) cited reports by Aughey 5-6 Jun 1865 Dakota Co and 14 Jun 1875 Lancaster Co; we disregard these (Sharpe 1993).
- High counts: 4 in Sarpy Co 10 May 2008, 4 at Fontenelle Forest 13 May 2018, and 4 there 10 May 2019.
A total of 23 were reported in 2022, and 18 in 2018.
Fall: Aug 24, 24, 24 <<<>>> Oct 17, 19, 20
Later dates are 23 Oct 2019 Otoe Co, 26 Oct 2018 Douglas Co, 31 Oct 2008 Lancaster Co, 31 Oct-1 Nov 2022 Sarpy Co, 1-5 Nov 2021 Sarpy Co, 5 Nov 1980 Douglas-Sarpy Cos (Williams 1981), and 18 Nov 1984 Wayne Co.
Migrants are primarily observed from late Aug through mid-Oct.
There are seven records for the Panhandle: 24 Aug 2020 Scotts Bluff Co, a specimen taken 14 Sep 1911 in Dawes Co (Zimmer 1912, cited above), 20 Sep 2014 Oliver Reservoir, Kimball Co, 29 Sep 1979 western Dawes Co (Rosche 1982), 8 Oct 1920 Sioux Co (Dawson 1921), 13 Oct 1979 Garden Co (Williams 1980), and 19 Oct 1991 Sheridan Co (Grzybowski 1992). There are these few reports for the west central: 26 Aug 2016 Red Willow Co, 26 Sep 2022 Dundy Co, and 30 Sep 2001 Blaine Co.
- High counts: 6 at Walnut Grove Park, Omaha, Douglas Co 9 Sep 2018, 5 at Krimlofski Tract, Neale Woods, Washington Co 13 Sep 1998, and 5 at Indian Cave SP, Nemaha and Richardson Cos 13 Sep 2010.
- About 42 were reported during fall 2018.
Images
Abbreviations
SP: State Park
UNSM: University of Nebraska State Museum
Literature Cited
Bruner, L., R.H. Wolcott, and M.H. Swenk. 1904. A preliminary review of the birds of Nebraska, with synopses. Klopp and Bartlett, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
Dawson, R.W. 1921. Fall migration in northwestern Nebraska in 1920. Wilson Bulletin 33: 35-37. Grzybowski, J.A. 1992. Southern Great Plains Region. American Birds 46: 113-117.
Gill, F., D. Donsker, and P. Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Grzybowski, J.A. 1992. Southern Great Plains Region. North American Birds 46: 52-155.
Jorgensen, J.G. 2012. Birds of the Rainwater Basin, Nebraska. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Morse, D.H., and A.F. Poole. 2020. Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.btnwar.01.
Pyle, P. 1997. Identification Guide to North American Birds. Part I, Columbidae to Ploceidae. Slate Creek Press, Bolinas, California, USA.
Rosche, R.C. 1982. Birds of northwestern Nebraska and southwestern South Dakota, an annotated checklist. Cottonwood Press, Crawford, Nebraska, USA.
Sharpe, R.S. 1993. Samuel Aughey’s list of Nebraska birds (1878): a critical evaluation. NBR 61: 3-10.
Williams, F. 1980. Southern Great Plains Region. American Birds 34: 176-179.
Williams, F. 1981. Southern Great Plains Region. American Birds 35: 198-201.
Zimmer, J.T. 1912. Several interesting warbler records from Dawes County. Proceedings Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union 5: 50.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2024. Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 15 Jan 2024