Order Passeriformes Higher classification Setophaga | Phylum Chordata Family Parulidae Scientific name Setophaga discolor Rank Species | |
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Similar New World warbler, Bird, Setophaga, Northern parula, Black‑and‑white warbler |
Bringing back the birds prairie warbler and blue winged warbler
The prairie warbler (Setophaga discolor) is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.
Contents
These birds have yellow underparts with dark streaks on the flanks, and olive upperparts with rusty streaks on the back; they have a yellow line above the eye, a dark line through it, and a yellow spot below it. These birds have black legs, long tails, two pale wing bars, and thin pointed bills. Coloring is duller in female and immatures.
![Prairie warbler Prairie Warbler Audubon Field Guide](https://alchetron.com/cdn/prairie-warbler-45066f4d-ea99-4c5b-bf32-14d8744ad0f-resize-750.jpeg)
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.
![Prairie warbler Prairie Warbler Audubon Field Guide](https://alchetron.com/cdn/prairie-warbler-c1a704e1-e42f-4c4f-9807-f9f6c793215-resize-750.jpeg)
These birds are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range. Other birds migrate to northeastern Mexico and islands in the Caribbean.
![Prairie warbler Prairie Warbler Identification All About Birds Cornell Lab of](https://alchetron.com/cdn/prairie-warbler-f68eaae6-0f45-4e63-ac99-53432d3d0fc-resize-750.jpeg)
Prairie warblers forage actively on tree branches, and sometimes fly around with the purpose of catching insects, which are the main food source of these birds.
![Prairie warbler Prairie Warbler Identification All About Birds Cornell Lab of](https://alchetron.com/cdn/prairie-warbler-7a159386-3499-4573-9e85-2ae82202527-resize-750.jpeg)
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 warbler Prairie Warbler Identification All About Birds Cornell Lab of](https://alchetron.com/cdn/prairie-warbler-93fab014-94eb-44a4-9e74-414a05c17d4-resize-750.jpeg)
Part of their call note repertoire is a tsip call. During dawn, chorus B songs are interspersed with rapid loud "check" calls.
![Prairie warbler Prairie Warbler Dendroica discolor Planet of Birds](https://alchetron.com/cdn/prairie-warbler-54b1ba43-cbaf-47f1-b796-6b599b278f2-resize-750.jpeg)
These birds wag their tails frequently.
The numbers of these birds are declining due to habitat loss; this species also suffers from nest parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird.