Prairie Warbler

Prairie Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae
Genus: Dendroica
Species: D. discolor
Binomial name
Dendroica discolor
(Vieillot, 1809)

The Prairie Warbler, Dendroica discolor, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.

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, pale wing bars, and thin pointed bills. Coloring is duller in female and immatures.

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.

These birds are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range. Other birds migrate to northeastern Mexico and islands in the Caribbean.

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 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.

Part of their call note repertoire is a tsip call. During dawn, chorus B songs are interspersed with rapid loud "check" calls.

These birds wag their tail feathers frequently. The numbers of these birds are declining due to habitat loss; this species also suffers from nest parasitism by the Brown-headed Cowbird.

Gallery

References

  • BirdLife International (2004). Dendroica discolor. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 5 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Prairie warbler — Prairie Prai rie, n. [F., an extensive meadow, OF. praerie, LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum a meadow.] 1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • prairie warbler — noun : a small warbler (Dendroica discolor) of eastern No. America that has the back olive green spotted with rufous, the underparts yellow, and the sides of the head and body streaked with black * * * an eastern North American wood warbler,… …   Useful english dictionary

  • prairie warbler — prerinis krūminukas statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Dendroica discolor angl. prairie warbler vok. Rostscheitel Waldsänger, m rus. прерийный лесной певун, m pranc. paruline des prés, f ryšiai: platesnis terminas –… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • prairie warbler — an eastern North American wood warbler, Dendroica discolor, olive green above, yellow below, and striped with black on the face and sides. [1805 15, Amer.] * * * …   Universalium

  • Warbler — War bler, n. 1. One who, or that which, warbles; a singer; a songster; applied chiefly to birds. [1913 Webster] In lulling strains the feathered warblers woo. Tickell. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of numerous species of small Old World… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Prairie — Prai rie, n. [F., an extensive meadow, OF. praerie, LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum a meadow.] 1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil. They… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Prairie chicken — Prairie Prai rie, n. [F., an extensive meadow, OF. praerie, LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum a meadow.] 1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Prairie clover — Prairie Prai rie, n. [F., an extensive meadow, OF. praerie, LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum a meadow.] 1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Prairie dock — Prairie Prai rie, n. [F., an extensive meadow, OF. praerie, LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum a meadow.] 1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Prairie dog — Prairie Prai rie, n. [F., an extensive meadow, OF. praerie, LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum a meadow.] 1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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