Palm warbler

The palm warbler (Setophaga palmarum) is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.

Description
Measurements:


 * Length: 4.7 - 5.5 in
 * Weight: 0.3 - 0.5 oz
 * Wingspan: 7.9 - 8.3 in

Taxonomy
The species comprises two distinct subspecies that may merit specific status.

"Yellow palm warbler" or "eastern palm warbler" (S. p. hypochrysea) of the eastern third of the breeding range has brownish-olive upper parts and thoroughly yellow underparts with bold rufous breast and flank streaking. It migrates later in the fall than its western counterpart.

"Brown palm warbler" or "western palm warbler" (S. p. palmarum) inhabits the remaining western two-thirds of the breeding range. It has much less yellow below, with less colorful streaking, and cold grayish-brown upper parts.

Distribution
Palm warblers breed in open coniferous bogs and edge east of the Continental Divide, across Canada and the northeastern United States.

These birds migrate to the southeastern United States, the Yucatán Peninsula, islands of the Caribbean, and eastern Nicaragua south to Panama to winter. They are one of the earlier migrants to return to their breeding grounds in the spring, often completing their migration almost two months before most other warblers. Unlike most Setophaga species, the palm warbler's winter range includes much of the Atlantic coast of North America, extending as far north as southern Nova Scotia. Every year since 1900 the palm warbler has been observed during Christmas Bird Count activities in Massachusetts, and consistently since 1958 in Nova Scotia. For the interval 1966–2015 the palm warbler population increased throughout much of its northernmost breeding range.

The palm warbler has been recorded as a vagrant to Iceland.

Behavior
Palm warbler nests take the form of an open cup, usually situated on or near the ground in an open area.

Palm warblers forage on the ground much more than other warblers, sometimes flying to catch insects. These birds mainly eat insects and berries. Their constant tail bobbing is an identifying characteristic. Kirtland's, prairie, and palm warblers are the only Setophaga species that incessantly bob their tails.

The song of this bird is a monotonous buzzy trill. The call is a sharp chek.

Books

 * Hanowski JM & Niemi GJ. (1990). Effects of Unknown Sex in Analyses of Foraging Behavior. In Morrison, M L, et al. (Ed) Studies in Avian Biology, No 13 Avian Foraging: Theory, Methodology, and Applications; International Symposium, Asilomar, California, USA, December 18-19, 1988 X+515p Cooper Ornithological Society: Los Angeles, California, USA Illus Paper 280-283, 1990.
 * Wilson, W. H., Jr. 1996. Palm Warbler (Dendroica palmarum). In The Birds of North America, No. 238 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C.

Articles
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 * Barrowclough GF & Corbin KW. (1978). Genetic Variation and Differentiation in the Parulidae. Auk. vol 95, no 4. p. 691-702.
 * Barton DC, Lindquist KE, Henry RW, III & Luna Mendoza LM. (2004). Landbird and waterbird notes from Isla Guadalupe, Mexico. Western Birds. vol 35, no 4. p. 186-196.
 * Benson A-M, Pogson TH & Doyle TJ. (2000). Updated geographic distribution of eight passerine species in central Alaska. Western Birds. vol 31, no 2. p. 100-105.
 * Berovides Alvarez V & Acosta Cruz M. (1982). Ornithocenosis in a Coastal Jungle of the Eastern Region of Cuba Southeast of Guantanamo. Ciencias Biologicas Academia de Ciencias de Cuba. vol 8, p. 134-136.
 * Bonifait S, Villard M-A & Paulin D. (2006). An index of reproductive activity provides an accurate estimate of the reproductive success of Palm Warblers. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol 77, no 3. p. 302-309.
 * Calme S & Desrochers A. (2000). Biogeographic aspects of the distribution of bird species breeding in Quebec's peatlands. Journal of Biogeography. vol 27, no 3. p. 725-732.
 * Calme S, Desrochers A & Savard J-PL. (2002). Regional significance of peatlands for avifaunal diversity in southern Quebec. Biological Conservation. vol 107, no 3. p. 273-281.
 * Collins SL. (1981). A Comparison of Nest Site and Perch Site Vegetation Structure of 7 Species of Warblers. Wilson Bulletin. vol 93, no 4. p. 542-547.
 * Currie D, Wunderle JM, Jr., Ewert DN, Davis A & McKenzie Z. (2005). Winter avian distribution and relative abundance in six terrestrial habitats on southern Eleuthera, The Bahamas. Caribbean Journal of Science. vol 41, no 1. p. 88-100.
 * Davies C & Sharrock JTR. (2000). The European Bird Report: Passerines. British Birds. vol 93, no 9. p. 415-427.
 * Delage V, Fortin MJ & Desrochers A. (2000). Effects of peripheral and isolated locations of songbird habitats in mined bogs. Ecoscience. vol 7, no 2. p. 149-156.
 * Delage V, Fortin M-J & Desrochers A. (2000). Effects of edge and isolation on habitats of songbirds in mined bogs. Ecoscience. vol 7, no 2. p. 149-156.
 * Desrochers A, Rochefort L & Savard J-PL. (1998). Avian recolonization of eastern Canadian bogs after peat mining. Canadian Journal of Zoology. vol 76, no 6. p. 989-997.
 * Emlen JT. (1973). Territorial Aggression in Wintering Warblers at Bahama Agave Blossoms. Wilson Bulletin. vol 85, no 1. p. 71-74.
 * Fall BA. (1973). Noteworthy Bird Records from South Texas Kennedy County. Southwestern Naturalist. vol 18, no 2. p. 244-246.
 * Harper JD. (1983). Late Season Soybean Looper Lepidoptera Noctuidae Population Reduction by Western Palm Warblers. Florida Entomologist. vol 66, no 2. p. 280-281.
 * Harris A. (1990). Palm Warblers Use Upland Cutovers as Nesting Habitat in Northwestern Ontario Canada. Ontario Birds. vol 8, no 3. p. 84-87.
 * Hoefs M. (1973). Birds of the Kluane Game Sanctuary Yukon Territory Canada and Adjacent Areas. Canadian Field Naturalist. vol 87, no 4. p. 345-355.
 * Hubbard JP. (1969). The Relationships and Evolution of the Dendroica-Coronata Complex. Auk. vol 86, no 3. p. 393-432.
 * Hubbard JP. (1972). Palm Warbler in Guerrero and Comments on Audubon's Warbler in Costa Rica. Auk. vol 89, no 4. p. 885-886.
 * Johnston DW. (1975). Organo Chlorine Pesticide Residues in Small Migratory Birds 1964-1973. Pesticides Monitoring Journal. vol 9, no 2. p. 79-88.
 * Johnston DW. (1976). Races of Palm Warblers Killed at a Florida Television Tower. Florida Field Naturalist. vol 4, no 2. p. 22-24.
 * Kirk DA & Hobson KA. (2001). Bird-habitat relationships in jack pine boreal forests. Forest Ecology & Management. vol 147, no 2-3. p. 217-243.
 * Lachance D, Lavoie C & Desrochers A. (2005). The impact of peatland afforestation on plant and bird diversity in southeastern Quebec. Ecoscience. vol 12, no 2. p. 161-171.
 * Latta SC. (2003). Effects of scaley-leg mite infestations on body condition and site fidelity of migratory Warblers in the Dominican Republic. Auk. vol 120, no 3. p. 730-743.
 * Latta SC & O'Connor BM. (2001). Patterns of Knemidokoptes jamaicensis (Acari: Knemidokoptidae) infestations among eight new avian hosts in the Dominican Republic. Journal of Medical Entomology. vol 38, no 3. p. 437-440.
 * MacKinnon DS & Freedman B. (1993). Effects of silvicultural use of the herbicide glyphosate on breeding birds of regenerating clearcuts in Nova Scotia, Canada. Journal of Applied Ecology. vol 30, no 3. p. 395-406.
 * Patti ST, Rubenstein DI & Rubenstein N. (1974). Distributional Notes on the Birds of Cayman Brac. Florida Scientist. vol 38, no 3. p. 155-156.
 * Pittaway R. (1995). Recognizable forms: Subspecies of the palm warbler. Ontario Birds. vol 13, no 1. p. 23-27.
 * Poulin M, Belisle M & Cabeza M. (2006). Within-site habitat configuration in reserve design: A case study with a peatland bird. Biological Conservation. vol 128, no 1. p. 55-66.
 * Quay WB. (1985). Sperm Release in Migrating Wood-Warblers Parulinae Nesting at Higher Latitudes. Wilson Bulletin. vol 97, no 3. p. 283-295.
 * Rodriguez D & Garcia ME. (1987). Ornithocenosis of the Littoral Vegetation on the Northern Coast of Havana Cuba. Poeyana Instituto de Zoologia Academia de Ciencias de Cuba. vol 347, p. 1-7.
 * Rodriguez G & Lentino M. (1997). Range expansion and summering of palm warbler Dendroica palmarum in Venezuela. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. vol 117, no 1. p. 76-77.
 * Stewart PA. (1968). Bird Migration through an Abandoned Farmstead Richmondena-Cardinalis Behavior Dendroica-Palmarum Guiraca-Caerulea Spizella-Passerina. Chat. vol 32, no 4.
 * Stewart PA & Connor HA. (1980). Fixation of Wintering Palm Warblers Dendroica-Palmarum to a Specific Site. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol 51, no 4. p. 365-367.
 * Stiles FG. (1988). Notes on the Distribution and Status of Certain Birds in Costa Rica. Condor. vol 90, no 4. p. 931-933.
 * Strandberg JO. (1981). Predation of Cabbage Looper Trichoplusia-Ni Pupae by the Striped Earwig Labidura-Riparia and 2 Bird Species. Environmental Entomology. vol 10, no 5. p. 712-715.
 * Taylor JW. (1969). Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper and Palm Warbler in Alaska. Wilson Bulletin. vol 81, no 3. p. 337-338.
 * Tomlinson DW. (2004). Wintering warblers in Cuba. Ontario Birds. vol 22, no 1. p. 15-19.
 * Vera CJ & Servello FA. (1994). Effects of paper mill sludge in spruce-fir forests on wildlife in Maine. Journal of Wildlife Management. vol 58, no 4. p. 719-727.
 * Welsh DA. (1971). Breeding and Territoriality of the Palm Warbler in a Nova Scotia Bog. Canadian Field Naturalist. vol 85, no 1. p. 31-37.
 * Wilson WH, Jr., Zierzow RE & Savage AR. (1998). Habitat selection by peatland birds in a Central Maine bog: The effects of scale and year. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol 69, no 4. p. 540-548.
 * Woods CA. (1975). Banding and Re Capture of Wintering Warblers in Haiti. Bird Banding. vol 46, no 4. p. 344-346.
 * Wunderle JMJ. (1978). Territorial Defense of a Nectar Source by a Palm Warbler. Wilson Bulletin. vol 90, no 2. p. 297-299.