Long tail is often pumped up and down, but not as consistently as Palm Warbler. They are small birds, with a body length that barely exceeds four inches. Reddish streaks on back are distinctive, but can be difficult to see or absent on immatures. Periodically, other warblers are spotted throughout Florida in the winter, but they are either very early migrants or birds that for one reason or another did not continue on their south bound migration. Small warbler, yellow overall with black streaks on sides and unique face pattern. The Florida has been listed as a species of special concern, because of a decline in its mangrove habitat and because of an invasion of cowbirds. Warblers in the winter in Florida are in their basic, drab, “don’t care about courting or attracting a mate,” curl up by the fire in comfort, couldn’t care less plumage. Males are olive-green above, with some red markings. Females won't necessarily follow them. And most birders would rather wait to see them on their spring march north to their summer breeding territories when they have morphed into spectacular “check me out, I’m so pretty” mating plumage. Such habitats are often temporary, and colonies may shift around from year to year. Males will sing to woo a mate. While warbler watching is not a prime Florida birding activity in the winter time it does pick up for a brief period in late March and early April when some of the other warblers pass through Florida on their trip north. Unfortunately we have no way of asking the local bird species what their reaction is to the winter influx, not only of warblers, but all other kinds of bird species that invade Florida in the winter. While they are pretty plain all winter long it is interesting to watch them begin to get some of their breeding color late in March when they are about to begin their northward migration. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Birding field guides indicate that Orange-crowned Warblers, American Redstart and Northern Waterthrushes also winter in Florida, and I do have poor photos of the Orange-crowned and Redstarts, but must confess that I have not seen a Northern Waterthrush in Florida. Not a bird of open prairies, this warbler nests mainly in young second growth scrub and densely overgrown fields in eastern North America. Finally, the fourth most common winter warbler in Florida is the Pine Warbler (photo 4) which can be found in virtually any significant patch of pines almost anywhere in south Florida, and along with the Common Yellowthroat, the only year-round residents of southern Florida. Mangroves are now protected, which helps the prairie. Farther north, to Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, it's a summer resident. Unlike the yellow, it has a dark face mask, with a broad yellow eyebrow; and the top of the skull is also dark. 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. Unfortunately there's still the cowbird problem. They'll also do an aerial dance of sorts and will chase after the ladies. Sadly, Florida is not a great place to go warbler watching in the winter. All of my photos displayed in this column were taken in the winter in Florida although I have better photos of some of these birds taken up north when they were migrating or had already reached their breeding grounds. Generally, in Brevard, mangrove forests start giving way to salt marshes. The less common but definitely fun to find Florida winter warblers are the Black and White Warbler (photo 5); the Northern Parula (photo 6); the Prairie Warbler (photo 7); the Yellow-throated Warbler (photo 8); and the Ovenbird (photo 9). Instead, they inhabit forestss and the edges forests throughout the eastern United States. Generally, in Brevard, mangrove forests start giving way to salt marshes. Males are territorial, and will return to the same breeding area year after year. In Florida, northern prairie warblers hang out in "young pine-hardwood stands." It's found along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts mostly in the extreme South Florida, including the Florida Keys. Offspring will fledge in eight to 12 days, but their parents will continue to care for them for about 40 or 50 days. A subspecies that's found only in Florida, called the Florida prairie warbler, S d paludicola, appropriately enough prefers mangrove forests of all things. The most common of the bird's two subspecies is called the northern prairie warbler, and is also found in the Sunshine State as both a year-round resident and as a migrant on its way to winter in the Caribbean. All photos on this site were taken by members of the St. Lucie Audubon Society, HART BEAT: THE GRAY GHOST -- NORTHERN HARRIER, St. Lucie Audubon Society, St. Lucie County, Florida, USA, www2.stetson.edu/~pmay/emeralda/emaral19.htm, www.10000birds.com/winter-wood-warblers-in-southeast-florida.htm. Its range also extends as far west and Missouri and northeastern Texas. Cowbird females deposit their eggs in the nests of other species rather than rear their own young. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the northern subspecies is a relatively new resident of Florida, nesting here only since the latter half of the 20th century. Florida prairie warblers are mostly concentrated in extreme South Florida, but have been found nesting as far north as Brevard and rarely Flagler counties on the Atlantic Coast, which is about as far north as mangroves might be found. 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. Curiously, their plumage does not change much throughout the year. Females do all of the sitting. Setophaga discolor. Black and White, Northern Parula and Prairie Warblers are found in appropriate woodlots or places like Green Cay, Wakodahatchee or Merritt Island NWR, but Yellow-throated Warblers and Ovenbirds can sometimes be found visiting bird feeders.