Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorus)
Ferry Park, San Francisco, California
23 December 2008
Joseph Morlan

We arrived about 10:00am. Several other birders were present including Jean Richmond and Jane Dang observing a Black-throated Gray Warbler in the poplars along the south edge of the park. Jane told us that the Worm-eating Warbler had just flown west to an area where a bridge leads across Davis Street to the Maritime Plaza. Rich and I headed up to the bridge where I spotted the Worm-eating Warbler at about eye-level in a poplar. We called to Robbie and the others and we all were treated to excellent views as the bird foraged in the curled dead leaves. We watched it for about five minutes until it flew into a garden of low flowering fuchsia where Rich spotted the bird preening deep in the vegetation. We watched it preen for a while until it started foraging in the fuchsias before it flew back to the original row of poplars where we lost track of it.

We were joined by Dan Singer who took several photos, two of which are shown here, while we watched the bird.

Description

The following description is based on memory and on verbal notes which I made while watching the bird.

A medium-sized warbler with a large head and a long spiky pinkish bill. The back was olive brown without any streaks or wing-bars. The head and breast were dull pumpkin-orange except for four black longitudinal stripes extending through the eye (but faint through the lores) and lateral to the crown. These stripes extended back to the nape where they expanded before terminating abruptly. The belly and rest of the underparts were pale but dingy. The undertail was dingy whitish and marked by fuzzy arrow-shaped spots. The tail was relatively short and square, lacking in any spots. The legs and feet were pink.

The bird called several times while it was preening in the fuchsias. The call was usually doubled, "zeet, zeet." but sometimes it gave a single call-note. The quality reminded me of Allen's Hummingbird.

Discussion

This is the second Worm-eating Warbler I have seen in San Francisco. The first was at Middle Lake in Golden Gate Park 20 March 1996.

Additional Photo Links

• 13 December - Photo by Hugh DeMann.
• 14 December - An account by Matthew Dodder and a photo by Ken Petersen.
• 20 December - Two photos by Tom Grey here and here.
• 22 December - Four photos by Eddie Bartley.
• 26 December - Seven superb photos and map by Walter Kitundu
• 28 December - Fine photo by Gil Ewing
• 30 December - Two excellent photos by David R. Moore
• 30 December - Six photos by Sonny Mencher
• 3 January 2009 - Photo by Mark Rauzon
• 4 January 2009 - Nine photos by Kem Hainebach
• 7 February 2009 - Twelve photos by Glen Tepke

Click here for a map of the area where the Worm-eating Warbler was seen.