This Morning Outside

by Diane Porter

October 19, 2010
At Birdwatching Dot Com
Fairfield, Iowa

One of the last warblers to migrate through the Midwest is the Orange-crowned Warbler. It's named for a tiny colorful patch of feathers on the top of its head, which virtually nobody ever sees.

Photo copyright 2010 Michael and Diane Porter

My first Orange-crowned Warbler was a bird I picked up after it temporarily stunned itself flying into my neighbor's kitchen window, in Santa Barbara, California. Holding the bird in my hand, I saw the orange spot on its crown. So I expected to see the orange on subsequent encounters.

And that never happened. In decades of watching birds, I've never seen the Orange-crowned Warbler's orange crown again. Apparently the bird only shows that spot for very special friends, or on very special occasions. The rest of the time, the orange feathers are covered up by the subdued yellow you see above.

—Diane Porter

See more pictures
from This Morning Outside