1989. Many migrate hundreds or thousands of miles. BIRD OF THE WEEK: July 8, 2016 SCIENTIFIC NAME: Setophaga discolor POPULATION: 3.5 million TREND: Declining HABITAT: Breeds in early successional habitats in the eastern U.S.; winters in south Florida and the Caribbean. “The scattered trees out on the edges of the glade are where you typically find Blue-winged Warblers. Prairie warbler, Dendroica discolor. Male Prairie Warblers on their territories can be quite conspicuous, as they sing and display from the tops of shrubs and young trees. They are not found in areas with closed canopies or where trees are higher than about 14 m (45 ft; Oberholser 1974, Nolan et al. Once males are paired they begin to sing B songs during the dawn chorus and then will intersperse A songs in their singing during the rest of the day. Dune/shoreline habitats should be protected since they often provide excellent habitat for Prairie warblers and are one of the few areas where they are found with some regularity. DeGraaf, R.M. Jr. et al. The Central Hardwoods Joint Venture, of which ABC is a partner, is actively promoting healthy habitat for this species. Occurs mostly in the Ozarks of southern Missouri; absent from the Bootheel lowlands. The total song length is longer as well in Type B songs. 103:1-34. downloaded 10/01. Contrary to its name, the Prairie Warbler is a bird of scrubby fields, clearcuts, and open woods, where it can be located by its buzzy, ascending song, tail-pumping habit, and black-streaked yellow plumage. Incubation period is 12 to 13 days.[2]. In the south the species is found in areas of scrub" (Nearctica). 1988); common from the northern Bahamas through the Greater Antilles and Management practices that are beneficial to the Prairie warbler include prescribed burning, allowing natural succession to proceed in fields, creating large cut-over areas, maintenance of large thickets in agricultural areas, and establishment of pine plantations. The prairie warbler has yellow underparts with black streaks on the sides. If you're really lucky you might see a Bachman's Sparrow in the grasses and the wildflowers.” (Read more in our Winter 2013 issue of Bird Conservation.). Call is a tchup. 2005) is not encouraging. Other birds migrate to north-eastern Mexico and islands in the Caribbean. In many cases, the general habitat descriptions should provide greater clarity and direction to the surveyor. Like other neotropical species such as Kentucky, Blackpoll, and Cerulean Warblers, “Prairies” are insectivores, consuming large quantities of caterpillars, moths, beetles, ants, and flies, as well as spiders and millipedes. Song is a thin, rising zee-zee-zee-zee-zee-zee. Males return to the same area each year, and some will attract more than one mate to their territory, a breeding system known as polygyny. It is rarely found in thick woods. Texas A&M University Press, College Station. The prairie warbler (Setophaga discolor) is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. This little bird has no song, at least I never heard any from it, excepting a delicate soft whirr, ejaculated whilst it stands erect on the top of some rank weed or low bush. Natural communities are not listed for those species documented only from altered or ruderal habitats in Michigan, especially for taxa that occur in a variety of habitats outside of the state. Global Rank: G5 - Secure
1999). Usually within 15–90 seconds of one of their young hatching, mother prairie warblers rapidly eat the eggshell. the Cayman Islands; uncommon farther southeast to the central Lesser Antilles; with rapid structural change in plant structure and composition (Evers 1994)" Birds occurred in areas mapped The Prairie Warbler was included on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List due to ongoing population declines. Atlanta, GA. NatureServe: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Most Prairie Warbler pairs raise one brood per season. Such habitats are often temporary, and colonies may shift around from year to year. Christmas tree plantings), oak clearcuts, and powerline right-of-ways (Evers The Prairie warbler is a medium sized warbler that has yellowish-green upperparts and a bright yellow under-surface. It can help replenish mineral nutrients in the mother’s body, help the young exit the egg, tidy the nest, and/or make the nest less conspicuous to predators. Their nests are often parasitized by Brown-headed Cowbirds, which is also a problem for bird species ranging from Painted Bunting to Baird's Sparrow. Dawson and B.A. To this she sticks plant fibers to start the shell. Many communicate with songs and calls. Version 6.2 2006. Habitat consisted of cells of both types, where the Keith A. Arnold Setophaga discolor. eastern United States except for northern New England. Olive upperparts with reddish streaking on the back. fields, and dry hillsides. Oberholser, H. C. 1974. Keys, J.E., Jr., J.C. Carpenter, S. Hooks, F. Koenig, W.H. Photo by Anne Lindgren, Shutterstock. (courtesy of the University of Vermont COOP Unit) were used to identify the 1986. Typical songs consist of 8-14 notes. Today, all the Dendroica warblers are now in genus Setophaga. The species is often associated with common juniper, oak, and white pine. Call 1-800-392-1111 to report poaching and arson, Parulidae (wood-warblers) in the order Passeriformes. Cover: "The prairie warbler (despite its name) is found in mixed The Prairie Warbler Prairie Warblers breed in early successional habitats—overgrown fields with sparse, young trees, and prefer to nest in shrubs or trees no more than 10 feet off the ground. see table, below). Similar species: Pine warblers have white wing bars, lack prominent streaks on the sides, and do not bob their tails so busily; also, they are larger. with scattered trees, young jack pine stands, pine plantations (especially of breeding forest birds of the middle Atlantic states. through 2000 along Breeding Bird Survey routes were used to test the habitat During this later period of singing A songs are typically used near females, near the nest, and in the center of their territories. Our land cover data do not distinguish forest succession stages, and the et al. Birds lay hard-shelled eggs (often in a nest), and the parents care for the young. The species extends Use of Study Area Resources: In the resulting compact cup, the female usually lays 4 (range 3-5) very pale cinnamon or gray eggs, spotted or dotted with browns or grays. map from the above model. range of the prairie warbler within the study area. Prairie Warbler foraging in live oak. successional pine habitats; optimal shape or distance between suitable patches http://www.nearctica.com/birds/warbler/Ddisc.htm The North American Breeding Bird Survey, results and analysis 1966-2005. The prairie warbler's nests are open cups, which are usually placed in a low area of a tree or shrub. in hardwood swamps, revegetating strip-mined lands, overgrown apple orchards, Academic Press, New York. 1999). This range adjoins southeast Oklahoma where atlasers reports breeding for this species (Bay 2004) and the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) reports a relative abundance of 3-10 Prairie Warblers per 40 km (25 mi) route, much higher than the figure for Texas (Sauer et al. This may have several benefits. This range seems unchanged in recent years; the distribution of breeding records on the TBBA map is similar to the area covered by nesting spots on Oberholser’s 1974 map. ecotone, powerline corridors, inner forest of Great Dismal Swamp, corridors In future versions of the Rare Species Explorer, we hope to incorporate natural community fidelity ranks for each taxon. We compared the presence of habitat at these sites Lockwood, M. W. and B. Freeman. Another simple method is to simply walk a transect through suitable habitat during the breeding season (mid-May to mid-July) and record individuals observed and/or heard. Habitat area requirements This information is used to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Birds are warm-blooded, and most species can fly. In A. Poole and F. Gill, (eds.) (1989) found that prairie warbler occurrences were positively Texas A&M University The numbers of these birds are declining due to habitat loss; this species also suffers from nest parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird. Prairie Warbler nests are open cups of plant material and animal hair, built by the female low in a tree or shrub. 2001. A tail-wagging yellow warbler with black streaks down its sides, the Prairie Warbler is found in scrubby fields and forests throughout the eastern and south-central United States, not on the prairies. In Birds of the World (A. F. … The song of the Prairie warbler is a distinctive buzzy song that ascends in scale (e.g., zee, zee, zee, zee zeet!). State Rank: S3 - Vulnerable. MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer.