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BIRDING BY SEASON

Some birds can be harder to identify in fall because their colors are more muted and the young birds don't yet have their grown-up colors. Here's an example of how some birds look in spring vs. fall.

For the Minnesota Star Tribune
September 23, 2008 at 6:11PM
Red-winged black bird, fall
Red-winged black bird, fall (Special To Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The adult male yellow-rumped warbler has a bright yellow rump and is cleanly marked with yellow shoulder patches, a white throat and a black mask.

The fall female can be very brown, but still shows the yellow rump patch and a hint of yellow on the shoulder. It has a broken eye ring, faint streaking on the underparts and thin, buffy wingbars.

The male common yellowthroat is conspicuously marked by its black mask, white stripe above the eyes and bright yellow throat.

The juvenile shows only a hint of the mask, but it has a bright yellow throat and yellow underparts.

The adult male black-throated green warbler has a namesake black throat with an olive green crown and eyeline. Note the white wingbars.

The fall bird shows no black throat, a paler green on the face and indistinct wing bars, but it has green on its back.

Male red-winged blackbirds are known for their shiny, deep black bodies and the signature shoulder patches of red.

Males of this species don't acquire their adult plumage until their third year. This bird shows the plumage of a youngster -- rusty and grayish feather margins and indistinct shoulder patches.

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about the writer

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JIM WILLIAMS

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