Prairie warbler: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Species of bird}} | {{short description|Species of bird}} | ||
{{Speciesbox | {{Speciesbox | ||
| image = Prairie Warbler FL Male JG.jpg | | image = Prairie Warbler FL Male JG.jpg | ||
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| status = LC | | status = LC | ||
| status_system = IUCN3.1 | | status_system = IUCN3.1 | ||
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn | | status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2021 |title=''Setophaga discolor'' |volume=2021 |article-number=e.T22721725A137240441 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22721725A137240441.en |access-date=2 November 2025}}</ref> | ||
| genus = Setophaga | | genus = Setophaga | ||
| species = discolor | | species = discolor | ||
| Line 14: | Line 13: | ||
| range_map = Dendroica discolor map.svg | | range_map = Dendroica discolor map.svg | ||
| range_map_caption = Range of ''S. discolor'' {{leftlegend|#FFFF00|outline=gray|Breeding range}}{{leftlegend|#0000FF|outline=gray|Winter range}} | | range_map_caption = Range of ''S. discolor'' {{leftlegend|#FFFF00|outline=gray|Breeding range}}{{leftlegend|#0000FF|outline=gray|Winter range}} | ||
| synonyms = * ''Dendroica discolor'' | | synonyms = * ''Sylvia discolor'' | ||
* ''Dendroica discolor'' | |||
}} | }} | ||
The '''prairie warbler''' ('''''Setophaga discolor''''') is a small [[songbird]] of the [[New World warbler]] family. | The '''prairie warbler''' ('''''Setophaga discolor''''') is a small [[songbird]] of the [[New World warbler]] family. | ||
== Taxonomy == | |||
The prairie warbler belongs to the genus ''[[Setophaga]]''. The species was described by the French ornithologist [[Louis Pierre Vieillot]] in a work published in 1807 documenting North American birds, where he called the bird ''Sylvia discolor'', although the genus designation ''Sylvia'' was not later retained.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vieillot |first=Louis Pierre |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/100831 |title=Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de l'Amérique Septentrionale: contenant un grand nombre d'espèces décrites ou figurées pour la première fois |date= |publisher=Desray |year=1807 |volume=2 |location=Paris |pages=37-38 |language=fr |trans-title=Natural History of the Birds of North America: Containing a Large Number of Species Described or Illustrated for the First Time |doi=10.5962/bhl.title.100831}}</ref> It was also previously assigned to the genus ''Dendroica''{{When|date=November 2025}} before that genus was merged into ''Setophaga''.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Chesser R. T. |display-authors=etal |year=2011 |title=Fifty-Second Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds |url=http://www.aou.org/auk/content/128/3/0600-0613.pdf |journal=Auk |volume=128 |issue=3 |pages=600–613 |bibcode=2011Auk...128..600C |doi=10.1525/auk.2011.128.3.600 |s2cid=13691956}}</ref> | |||
The vernacular name "prairie warbler" is attributed to the Scottish-American naturalist [[Alexander Wilson (ornithologist)|Alexander Wilson]] who saw the species in 1810 in prairie country in southwestern [[Kentucky]].<ref name=":3" /> This name is arguably misleading, since the bird generally prefers shrubbery and small trees rather than true open prairie habitats.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
There are two recognized subspecies, ''S. d. discolor'' and ''S. d.'' ''paludicola''. The first, ''S. d. discolor'', is the migratory form which breeds throughout the full range and spends winters in Florida and the West Indies. The second, ''S. d.'' ''paludicola'', is the sedentary form which permanently inhabits the coasts of Florida.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Nolan Jr. |first=Val |date=1978 |title=The Ecology and Behavior of the Prairie Warbler Dendroica discolor |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40166732 |journal=Ornithological Monographs |issue=26 |pages=6 |doi=10.2307/40166732 |issn=0078-6594 |via=JSTOR|url-access=subscription }}</ref> American zoologist [[Arthur H. Howell]] is credited with describing ''S. d.'' ''paludicola'' in a paper published in 1930. [[H. H. Bailey]] had also previously described the subspecies sometime from 1926 to 1930 (date uncertain), but he did not publish it publicly.<ref name=":3" /> | |||
==Description== | ==Description== | ||
These birds have yellow underparts with dark streaks on the flanks, | These birds have yellow underparts with dark streaks on the flanks. In males, the back is olive green with chestnut or rufuos streaks.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Stephenson |first=Tom |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2jc8rf |title=The Warbler Guide |last2=Whittle |first2=Scott |last3=Hamilton |first3=Catherine |date=2013 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-15482-4 |pages=410-413}}</ref> A black stripe runs through the eye, and another black stripe runs from the beak down the throat.<ref name=":0" /> This semicircular stripe gives them a distinctive "tired" look.<ref name=":2" /> They have two faint wing bars.<ref name=":0" /> Their tails have large white areas, and they have dark legs. Coloring is duller in females and immature birds, and streaks are fainter or absent.<ref name="BOC" /> The subspecies ''S. d.'' ''paludicola'' is also duller overall.<ref name=":2" /> | ||
===Measurements=== | ===Measurements=== | ||
{| | The prairie warbler typically measures from {{convert|11|to|13|cm|abbr=on|in}} in length. The typical adult wingspan measures from {{convert|5.4|to|5.8|cm|abbr=on|in}} for males or {{convert|5.1|to|5.7|cm|abbr=on|in}} for females.<ref name=BOC>{{cite book |last=Godfrey |first=W. Earl |date=1966 |title=The Birds of Canada |location=Ottawa |publisher=National Museum of Canada |page=339}}</ref> The bird weighs about {{Convert|7.7|g|oz|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Sibley>{{cite book |last=Sibley |first=David Allen |author-link=David Allen Sibley |date=2000 |title=The Sibley Guide to Birds |location=New York |publisher=Knopf |page=[https://archive.org/details/sibleyguidetobir00sibl_0/page/440 440] |isbn=0-679-45122-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/sibleyguidetobir00sibl_0/page/440 }}</ref> | ||
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The tail of an adult male measures from {{convert|4.7|to|5.1|cm|abbr=on|in}}, the exposed culmen measures from {{convert|9|to|10|mm|abbr=on|in}}, and the tarsus measures from {{convert|17|to|19|mm|abbr=on|in}}.<ref name="BOC" /> | |||
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===Vocalizations=== | ===Vocalizations=== | ||
Prairie warblers have two categories of songs, referred to as Type A and Type B. Type A songs are typically a series of ascending buzzy notes. The B songs are an ascending series of whistled notes that often contain some buzzy notes. Compared to A songs, the B songs are lower in pitch, have fewer, longer notes. The total song length is longer as well in Type B songs. The use of these two song categories is associated with certain contexts. A songs are sung throughout the day when males first arrive on their breeding grounds. 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. During this later period of singing A songs are typically used near females, near the nest, and in the center of their territories. In contrast B songs are used when interacting or fighting with other males and near the borders of their territories. | Prairie warblers have two categories of songs, referred to as Type A and Type B. Type A songs are typically a series of ascending buzzy notes. The B songs are an ascending series of whistled notes that often contain some buzzy notes. Compared to A songs, the B songs are lower in pitch, have fewer, longer notes. The total song length is longer as well in Type B songs. The use of these two song categories is associated with certain contexts. A songs are sung throughout the day when males first arrive on their breeding grounds. 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. During this later period of singing A songs are typically used near females, near the nest, and in the center of their territories. In contrast B songs are used when interacting or fighting with other males and near the borders of their territories. | ||
Part of their call note repertoire is a ''tsip'' call. During dawn, chorus B songs are interspersed with rapid loud "check" calls. | Part of their call note repertoire is a ''tsip'' call. During dawn, chorus B songs are interspersed with rapid loud "check" calls.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Houlihan |first=Peter William |title=The singing behavior of prairie warblers (Dendroica discolor) |date=February 2000 |access-date=November 1, 2025 |degree=PhD |publisher=University of Massachusetts Amherst |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/304605191}}</ref> | ||
==Distribution and | ==Distribution== | ||
The full breeding range of the subspecies ''S. d. discolor'' includes the much of the eastern [[United States]], with the highest population density in the southeast. Isolated populations have been observed as far west as [[Kansas]], [[Iowa]], and [[Michigan]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Wells |first=Jeffrey V. |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt7s12c |title=Birder's Conservation Handbook: 100 North American Birds at Risk |date=2007 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-12323-3 |chapter=Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor) |doi=10.2307/j.ctt7s12c.93 |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt7s12c.93}}</ref> Their reach extends as far north as [[Ontario]] and [[New Brunswick]] in [[Canada]].<ref name="BOC" /> | |||
The winter range of ''S. d. discolor'' includes the southern portion of [[Florida]], [[the Bahamas]], the [[Greater Antilles]], and the eastern coast of [[Mexico]] and further along the coast of [[Central America]] as far south as [[Honduras]]. The subspecies ''S. d.'' ''paludicola'' inhabits the coasts of Florida year-round.<ref name=":1" /> | |||
==Behaviour and ecology== | ==Behaviour and ecology== | ||
===Breeding=== | ===Breeding=== | ||
Their breeding habitats are brushy areas and forest edges in eastern [[North America]]. The prairie warbler's nests are open cups, which are usually placed in a low area of a tree or shrub. Incubation period is 12 to 13 days.<ref name=BOC/> | Their breeding habitats are brushy areas and forest edges in eastern [[North America]]. The prairie warbler's nests are open cups, which are usually placed in a low area of a tree or shrub. Incubation period is 12 to 13 days.<ref name=BOC/> Female warblers usually lay three to five eggs. The eggs are white with speckles which have been described as "chestnut," "auburn," or "russet."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bent |first=Arthur Cleveland |date=1953 |title=Life Histories of North American Wood Warblers |url=http://hdl.handle.net/10088/10009 |journal=Bulletin of the United States National Museum |language=en |issue=203 |pages=432 |issn=0362-9236 |via=Smithsonian Library & Archives}}</ref> | ||
Prairie warblers are victims of [[nest parasite|nest parasitism]] by the [[brown-headed cowbird]], which causes them to raise young cowbirds instead of their own chicks or sometimes to abandon affected nests all together.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
===Feeding=== | ===Feeding=== | ||
Prairie warblers forage | Prairie warblers forage for insects. The majority of their foraging behavior comprises [[Gleaning (birds)|gleaning]] from twigs, leaves, and infrequently trunks and branches. Less common tactics include fly-catching, hovering, and chasing. Rarely, they have been observed pecking the ground, feeding on [[nectar]], and web-picking.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Post |first=William |date=June 1978 |title=Social and Foraging Behavior of Warblers Wintering in Puerto Rican Coastal Scrub |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4161051 |journal=The Wilson Bulletin |volume=90 |issue=2 |pages=210 |issn=0043-5643 |via=JSTOR}}</ref> | ||
===Behaviour=== | ===Behaviour=== | ||
Prairie warblers wag, or pump, their tails frequently, which is a behavior they have in common with [[Palm warbler|Palm warblers]] and [[Kirtland's warbler|Kirtland's warblers]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=Matt |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.10595445 |title=Endangered and Disappearing Birds of Appalachia and the Southeast |date= |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |year=2024 |isbn=978-0-8131-9896-5 |pages=211-212 |language=en |doi=10.2307/jj.10595445.51}}</ref> | |||
==Status== | ==Status== | ||
Although the species is not considered to be in danger of extinction,<ref name="iucn" /> its population size likely peaked in the 1940s or 1950s and has been declining since then. Across the Appalachians and Southeastern United States, this decline generally ranges from 50 to 70 percent.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
| Line 72: | Line 68: | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<!-- BulletinOfTheBritishOrnithologistsClub101:339. Caldasia28:371. WilsonBull18:47 (compare to current Ohio checklist http://www.ohiobirds.org/publications/OBRClist.pdf). --> | <!-- BulletinOfTheBritishOrnithologistsClub101:339. Caldasia28:371. WilsonBull18:47 (compare to current Ohio checklist http://www.ohiobirds.org/publications/OBRClist.pdf). --> | ||
{{Reflist | {{Reflist}} | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{Commons category|Setophaga discolor}} | {{Commons category|Setophaga discolor}} | ||
{{Wikispecies|Setophaga discolor}} | {{Wikispecies|Setophaga discolor}} | ||
* [ | * [https://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i6730id.html Prairie warbler - ''Dendroica discolor''] - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter | ||
* [ | * [https://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Prairie_Warbler.html Prairie warbler species account] - Cornell Lab of Ornithology | ||
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20001028152523/http://www.bird-stamps.org/cspecies/19903200.htm Prairie warbler Stamps]}} from [[Barbados]], [[British Virgin Islands]], [[Grenada]], [[St. Kitts]] at {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19990428065259/http://www.bird-stamps.org/ bird-stamps.org]}} | * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20001028152523/http://www.bird-stamps.org/cspecies/19903200.htm Prairie warbler Stamps]}} from [[Barbados]], [[British Virgin Islands]], [[Grenada]], [[St. Kitts]] at {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19990428065259/http://www.bird-stamps.org/ bird-stamps.org]}} | ||
* {{InternetBirdCollection|prairie-warbler-dendroica-discolor|Prairie warbler}} | * {{InternetBirdCollection|prairie-warbler-dendroica-discolor|Prairie warbler}} | ||
| Line 176: | Line 164: | ||
[[Category:Birds described in 1809|prairie warbler]] | [[Category:Birds described in 1809|prairie warbler]] | ||
[[Category:Taxa named by Louis Pierre Vieillot|prairie warbler]] | [[Category:Taxa named by Louis Pierre Vieillot|prairie warbler]] | ||
[[Category:Birds of the United States]] | |||
Latest revision as of 06:01, 1 December 2025
Template:Short description Template:Speciesbox
The prairie warbler (Setophaga discolor) is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.
Taxonomy
The prairie warbler belongs to the genus Setophaga. The species was described by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in a work published in 1807 documenting North American birds, where he called the bird Sylvia discolor, although the genus designation Sylvia was not later retained.[1] It was also previously assigned to the genus DendroicaScript error: No such module "Unsubst". before that genus was merged into Setophaga.[2]
The vernacular name "prairie warbler" is attributed to the Scottish-American naturalist Alexander Wilson who saw the species in 1810 in prairie country in southwestern Kentucky.[3] This name is arguably misleading, since the bird generally prefers shrubbery and small trees rather than true open prairie habitats.[4]
There are two recognized subspecies, S. d. discolor and S. d. paludicola. The first, S. d. discolor, is the migratory form which breeds throughout the full range and spends winters in Florida and the West Indies. The second, S. d. paludicola, is the sedentary form which permanently inhabits the coasts of Florida.[3] American zoologist Arthur H. Howell is credited with describing S. d. paludicola in a paper published in 1930. H. H. Bailey had also previously described the subspecies sometime from 1926 to 1930 (date uncertain), but he did not publish it publicly.[3]
Description
These birds have yellow underparts with dark streaks on the flanks. In males, the back is olive green with chestnut or rufuos streaks.[5] A black stripe runs through the eye, and another black stripe runs from the beak down the throat.[4] This semicircular stripe gives them a distinctive "tired" look.[5] They have two faint wing bars.[4] Their tails have large white areas, and they have dark legs. Coloring is duller in females and immature birds, and streaks are fainter or absent.[6] The subspecies S. d. paludicola is also duller overall.[5]
Measurements
The prairie warbler typically measures from Script error: No such module "convert". in length. The typical adult wingspan measures from Script error: No such module "convert". for males or Script error: No such module "convert". for females.[6] The bird weighs about Script error: No such module "convert"..[7]
The tail of an adult male measures from Script error: No such module "convert"., the exposed culmen measures from Script error: No such module "convert"., and the tarsus measures from Script error: No such module "convert"..[6]
Vocalizations
Prairie warblers have two categories of songs, referred to as Type A and Type B. Type A songs are typically a series of ascending buzzy notes. The B songs are an ascending series of whistled notes that often contain some buzzy notes. Compared to A songs, the B songs are lower in pitch, have fewer, longer notes. The total song length is longer as well in Type B songs. The use of these two song categories is associated with certain contexts. A songs are sung throughout the day when males first arrive on their breeding grounds. 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. During this later period of singing A songs are typically used near females, near the nest, and in the center of their territories. In contrast B songs are used when interacting or fighting with other males and near the borders of their territories.
Part of their call note repertoire is a tsip call. During dawn, chorus B songs are interspersed with rapid loud "check" calls.[8]
Distribution
The full breeding range of the subspecies S. d. discolor includes the much of the eastern United States, with the highest population density in the southeast. Isolated populations have been observed as far west as Kansas, Iowa, and Michigan.[9] Their reach extends as far north as Ontario and New Brunswick in Canada.[6]
The winter range of S. d. discolor includes the southern portion of Florida, the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the eastern coast of Mexico and further along the coast of Central America as far south as Honduras. The subspecies S. d. paludicola inhabits the coasts of Florida year-round.[9]
Behaviour and ecology
Breeding
Their breeding habitats are brushy areas and forest edges in eastern North America. The prairie warbler's nests are open cups, which are usually placed in a low area of a tree or shrub. Incubation period is 12 to 13 days.[6] Female warblers usually lay three to five eggs. The eggs are white with speckles which have been described as "chestnut," "auburn," or "russet."[10]
Prairie warblers are victims of nest parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird, which causes them to raise young cowbirds instead of their own chicks or sometimes to abandon affected nests all together.[4]
Feeding
Prairie warblers forage for insects. The majority of their foraging behavior comprises gleaning from twigs, leaves, and infrequently trunks and branches. Less common tactics include fly-catching, hovering, and chasing. Rarely, they have been observed pecking the ground, feeding on nectar, and web-picking.[11]
Behaviour
Prairie warblers wag, or pump, their tails frequently, which is a behavior they have in common with Palm warblers and Kirtland's warblers.[4]
Status
Although the species is not considered to be in danger of extinction,[12] its population size likely peaked in the 1940s or 1950s and has been declining since then. Across the Appalachians and Southeastern United States, this decline generally ranges from 50 to 70 percent.[4]
Gallery
-
At Castellow Hammock, Miami, FL.
References
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External links
Template:Sister project Template:Sister project
- Prairie warbler - Dendroica discolor - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Prairie warbler species account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Prairie warbler StampsTemplate:Category handler[<span title="Script error: No such module "string".">usurped]Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". from Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Grenada, St. Kitts at bird-stamps.orgTemplate:Category handler[<span title="Script error: No such module "string".">usurped]Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Template:InternetBirdCollection
- Template:VIREO
- Prairie warbler bird sound at Florida Museum of Natural History
- Template:BirdLife
- Template:IUCN Map
- Template:Xeno-canto species