Palm Warbler

Dendroica palmarum

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

14 cm (5-6") Fairly common. Nests at edge of spruce bogs mostly in Canada. In migration; woodland borders, brushy areas, marshes, grasslands, weedy fields.

Chestnut cap. Yellow eyebrow stripe. Yellow throat. Yellow undertail coverts. Streaked breast and sides.

Tail-wagging habit helps identify this ground feeding warbler.

Immature: Drab, light eyebrow stripe. Underparts grayish. Yellow undertail coverts.

Song: rapid junco-like trill.

Details in the field

Photo gallery

1 photo

Credit: Kelly Colgan Azar

Watch and learn

Videos

1 video

Palm Warbler in Maine (Yellow, Eastern)

Credit: Wild Bird and Nature Videos by McElroy Productions

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 4 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Palm Warbler

3 rules

Rule 1 16 criteria confidence 4

Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What Color were the UNDERTAIL COVERTS ?: Yellow, olive, or tan (light brown) · Unknown
What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Bobbing · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What were the EYE markings if any ?: Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · None · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:77-palm-warbler:1:1 Source: 77 Palm Warbler, row 1

Rule 2 16 criteria confidence 1

Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What Color were the UNDERTAIL COVERTS ?: Yellow, olive, or tan (light brown) · Unknown
What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Bobbing · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What were the EYE markings if any ?: Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · None · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States

result:77-palm-warbler:2:1 Source: 77 Palm Warbler, row 2

Rule 3 16 criteria confidence 1

Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What Color were the UNDERTAIL COVERTS ?: Yellow, olive, or tan (light brown) · Unknown
What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Bobbing · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What were the EYE markings if any ?: Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · None · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States

result:77-palm-warbler:3:1 Source: 77 Palm Warbler, row 3

Palm Warbler (Immature)

1 rule

Rule 1 14 criteria confidence 1

What Color were the UNDERTAIL COVERTS ?: Yellow, olive, or tan (light brown) · Unknown
What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Bobbing · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What were the EYE markings if any ?: Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · None · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Fall · Winter

result:79-palm-warbler-immature:1:1 Source: 79 Palm Warbler (Immature), row 1