Prairie Warbler

Dendroica discolor

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Identification

Field notes

12 cm (5") Common in eastern United States; casual to southern Ontario. Open deciduous saplings, wood margins, overgrown fields, mangrove swamps.

Olive upperparts. Chestnut streaks on back may be visible. Bright yellow eyebrow stripe. Yellow patch below eye. Bright yellow underparts. Black streaked sides. Two pale wing bars.

Immature: grayish-olive above. Yellow below. Females have gray breast band.

Tail-wagging habit.

Usually in lower branches and brush.

Song: thin "zee zee zee zee ze".

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Prairie Warbler

Credit: Larry Bond

Prairie Warbler Portrait

Credit: Lang Elliott's Nature Channel

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 5 rules

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

Prairie Warbler

3 rules

Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 5

What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Bobbing · Flicking · Unknown
Were the SIDES STREAKED, SPOTTED or BARRED ?: Yes · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Yellow · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What were the EYE markings if any ?: Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · Dark STRIPE THROUGH the eye · 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 ?: Southeastern United States

result:84-prairie-warbler:1:1 Source: 84 Prairie Warbler, row 1

Rule 2 13 criteria confidence 2

What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Bobbing · Flicking · Unknown
Were the SIDES STREAKED, SPOTTED or BARRED ?: Yes · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Yellow · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What were the EYE markings if any ?: Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · Dark STRIPE THROUGH the eye · 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 · Southwestern United States

result:84-prairie-warbler:2:1 Source: 84 Prairie Warbler, row 2

Rule 3 13 criteria confidence 1

What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Bobbing · Flicking · Unknown
Were the SIDES STREAKED, SPOTTED or BARRED ?: Yes · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Yellow · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What were the EYE markings if any ?: Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · Dark STRIPE THROUGH the eye · 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:84-prairie-warbler:3:1 Source: 84 Prairie Warbler, row 3

Prairie Warbler (Immature)

2 rules

Rule 1 12 criteria confidence 4

What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Bobbing · Flicking · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Yellow · 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) · Green · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · 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
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States

result:87-prairie-warbler-immature:1:1 Source: 87 Prairie Warbler (Immature), row 1

Rule 2 12 criteria confidence 1

What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Bobbing · Flicking · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Yellow · 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) · Green · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · 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
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southwestern United States

result:87-prairie-warbler-immature:2:1 Source: 87 Prairie Warbler (Immature), row 2