A small bright yellow warbler with distinctive face pattern of two black stripes. Despite the name, prefers shrubby habitat over true prairie.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The prairie warbler is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.
Source: Wikipedia — Prairie warbler Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Yellow face and underparts with black streaks down the sides, two black face marks (eye line and crescent below eye), olive back with chestnut streaks (males).
Similar species. Palm Warbler tail-wags too but is browner with a chestnut cap; Prairie's bold facial pattern and side streaks are distinctive.
Voice. A thin, buzzy series rising up the scale: 'zee-zee-zee-zee-zee-zee-zee'.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Insects (caterpillars primary), spiders, occasional berries on migration.
Behavior. A bird of scrubby old fields, dune thickets, and young pine; bobs its tail constantly while foraging low in shrubs. Despite the name, not a prairie bird.
§ Range
Eastern North America in summer
§ Habitat
Young second-growth, pine barrens, scrubby habitats
§ Threats
Loss of young-forest habitat, fire suppression.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the prairie warbler is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support young-forest management. Maintain shrubby habitats.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Prairie warbler
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Setophaga discolor
- IUCN Red List — search for Setophaga discolor
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Setophaga discolor
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
