Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor)

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A Field Guide to Warblers of North America (The Peterson Field Guide Series). by Kimball L. Garrett, Jon L. Dunn, Cindy House (Illustrator)

Warblers of Eastern North America

Photo: Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

Recording by John R. Sauer, U.S. Geological Survey

Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor)

Identification: 4 inches from tip of bill to tip of tail.

Breeding Male: The back and top of the head are olive colored, but the breast, neck and belly are yellow. The yellow breast and belly are strongly streaked with black along the sides. A conspicuous double black line runs through and below the eyes. Wing bars are present, but inconspicuous. Rusty streaks are usually visible on the back.

Female: The female resembles the male, but is generally duller. The double line between the eyes is not as conspicuous.

Fall Male and Female: Similar to the breeding males and females.

Immature: Similar to the female but the double line between and below the eye is inconspicuous and the streaking on the sides of the breast and belly is weak.

Similar Species:  The Prairie Warbler could be confused with three other warbler species; Pine Warbler, Palm Warbler, or Kirtland's Warbler. The Pine Warbler lacks the yellow face and conspicuous double black line through and below the eye of the Prairie Warbler. In addition the belly is a duller yellow and the black streaking is much less conspicuous. The Palm Warbler has a distinctive rusty cap on the top of the head and lacks the double black line on the face. Instead the face has a yellow band over the eye and a single black line through the eye. The Palm Warbler is most commonly seen on the ground, not in trees. The back and head of Kirtland's Warbler is gray-blue, not olive and the face lacks any trace of yellow or a double black line.

Breeding Range (see map below): The breeding range of the Prairie Warbler covers most of the eastern United States except for northern New England. The species extends westard to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. The species is absent from Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and most of Illinois.

Overwintering Range: Southern Florida and the American tropics.

Habitat:  The Praire Warbler (despite its name) is found in mixed pine-oak barrens (such as the New Jersey Pine Barrens), old pastures and fields, and dry hillsides. In the south the species is found in areas of scrub. In southern Florida the Praire Warbler inhabits Mangrove Swamps.

Food: Insects.

Behavior: The song consists of a rapidly ascending series of buzzy zee-zee-zee notes. The species (along with the Palm Warbler and Kirtland's Warbler) bobs its tail up and down.

Reproduction: The nest is constructed of grass and leaves, lined with hair. The nest is usually placed in a bush or small tree. The clutch size is 3 to 5 eggs. The eggs are white with brown spots. Incubation takes about 12 days and the young bird is ready to leave the nest about 10 days after hatching.

Notes: Despite its name the Prairie Warbler does not live in the prairie. The species is commonly found in secondary habitats such as old fields overgrown with brush and small trees. The Prairie Warbler is very fond of pine barrens and other dry habitats, but is rarely found in thick woods.