| Palm Warbler Identification Tips |
| (Credit: U. S. Geological Survey) |
| General
Information - Small, active, insect-eating bird - Thin, pointed bill - Yellow undertail coverts - Yellowish rump - Dark legs - Frequently wags its tail - Often found in fields and scrubby habitats in fall and winter - Different races Yellow (Eastern) - Rusty cap in adults-most obvious in males, may be absent in immatures - Bright yellow underparts with rusty streaks on breast - Olive-brown upperparts - Plumage brightest in Spring and Summer Western - Rusty cap in adults-most obvious in males, may be absent in immatures - Whitish underparts with dark streaks on breast - Throat may be yellow or whitish - Brownish-gray upperparts Similar species The Palm Warbler is quite a variable species. Eastern birds in Spring are very bright yellow underneath with rusty caps and are quite showy. But immatures in fall can be very dull-especially the Western ones. But one field mark all Palm Warblers share is that they constantly pump their tails. The tail-wagging helps draw attention to another good field mark, the yellow undertail coverts. The Prairie Warbler also wags its tail but has brighter yellow underparts, lacks streaking on the breast and a has different face pattern. |
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