Bird field guide · New World Warblers

Photographing the Black-throated Gray Warbler

How to photograph the Black-throated Gray Warbler (Setophaga nigrescens): the right lens for its size, shutter speeds for perched and moving animals, and when it's most often seen (April and September).

11–15 cm1/3200–1/4000 s

11–15 cm

Typical length (family range)

1/1000 s

Shutter: perched / still

1/3200–1/4000 s

Shutter: action / flight

f/5.6–f/8

Aperture

11,405

Research-grade sightings in N. America

Recommended camera settings#

ModeManual + Auto ISOLock shutter & aperture, let ISO float

Shutter (still)1/1000 s

Shutter (action)1/3200–1/4000 s

Aperturef/5.6–f/8

FocusAF-C + subject/eye detectionUse a small flexible zone or animal-eye AF; tiny birds flit constantly, so shoot short bursts.

DriveHigh-speed burst

Lens400–600 mmFull-frame equivalent

Focal length needed to frame it#

For a subject about 13 cm long filling a third or half of the frame width horizontally. Small birds demand long lenses and a close approach — a blind or feeder setup helps.

Distance	⅓ of frame (FF)	½ of frame (FF)	⅓ of frame (APS-C)	⅓ of frame (MFT)
5 m (16 ft)	419 mm	608 mm	279 mm	209 mm
10 m (33 ft)	837 mm	1,216 mm	558 mm	419 mm
15 m (49 ft)	1,256 mm	1,824 mm	837 mm	628 mm
20 m (66 ft)	1,675 mm	2,432 mm	1,116 mm	837 mm
30 m (98 ft)	2,512 mm	3,649 mm	1,675 mm	1,256 mm
50 m (164 ft)	4,187 mm	6,081 mm	2,791 mm	2,093 mm

When to find it#

Share of iNaturalist observations by month across North America. Peak months: April and September.

About the Black-throated Gray Warbler#

The black-throated gray warbler (Setophaga nigrescens) is a passerine bird of the New World warbler family Parulidae. It is 13 cm (5.1 in) long and has gray and white plumage with black markings. The male has the bold black throat of its name, and black stripes on its head, as well as black streaks on its flanks; the female is a paler version of the male, with a white throat and less distinct black markings on the flanks...

Summary adapted from Wikipedia via iNaturalist (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Field-craft tips#

Spring migration (late April–May) is peak season.
Learn songs to locate birds before you see them.
Shoot at the canopy edge where light reaches the leaves.
Use a small flexible zone or animal-eye AF; tiny birds flit constantly, so shoot short bursts.
Sightings peak in April and September, which is when you'll have the most chances.
Tiny subjects: get close with a hide or feeder perch rather than cropping heavily.

Ethics#

The welfare of the animal comes first: if it changes its behaviour because of you, you are too close.
Stay on trails, respect closures around nests, leks, dens and haul-outs.
Avoid playback and baiting in sensitive seasons; never bait predators.
Don't share precise locations of rare, nesting or roosting animals publicly.