I was walking on Sunday Beach (a barrier island) near Port O'Connor Texas this morning and I came across this dead bird. I will post several pics. I think it might be a Chestnut-sided Warbler, who didn't quite make it through the migration, but I would like to get some other opinions. Note the white belly and outer tail feathers, yellow crown & back and chestnut on the sides. I estimate that it is between 4-5 inches in length.
2nd pic
3rd pic
last pic
Yep, Chestnut-sided Warbler, probably female (only a small amount of chestnut on the sides). Sad it didn't make it, but that is actually quite a common outcome, migration is very dangerous. At least it isn't covered in oil, so the demise is natural.
Resin
Thanks, Res. Yes, sad, but no signs of trauma or oil.
So sad that it didn't survive migration. I wonder if it was traveling anywhere in the gulf near that oil rig explosion, if fumes could have had anything to do with it's death?
Re: signs of oil ... I'm concerned that with the horrible disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, we will be seeing many oil covered seabirds and other sea creatures along our shore in the near future. Many rescue facilities are gearing up to help. There have already been more than 30 dead sea turtles washing ashore in Mississippi. So sad.
I sure hope our Florida lawmakers are thinking twice and changing their decision about future drilling off the coast.
Unlikely that the oil spill is involved in this - just exhaustion. Mortality on migration is high, and always has been.
Resin
