Bird: Palm Warbler (dendrocia palmarum)

Height: 5.5"

Identification: In Wakodahatchee the Palm Warbler appears in its winter plumage. Its head is small compared with its body. There is a long white stripe above the eye and a brief white stripe below it. A light stripe extends back from the beak. The breast is white with light streaking. The undertail is bright yellow, with duller yellow above. The tail is relatively short and dark. Constantly flicks tail. The legs and tiny beak are dark. Unlike the Pine Warbler it has a light breast and it lacks the yellow side-bars of the Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Voice: High pitched "cheap" and a trill with a crescendo like "tree-tree-tree-tree" Audio is available at eNature.com.

Feeding: The Palm Warbler often feeds on the ground, eating insects. I have also watched them pick insects out of thick duckweed (they may have been eating the duckweed itself). They are found in loose flocks.

Other Behavior: The earliest Warbler to arrive at Wakodahatchee. The Palm Warbler is the only common species of Warbler to nest on the ground. Palm Warblers are very active and stay in constant motion. They are very common.

Click here for more information on The Palm Warbler from eNature.com

Palm Warblers appear at Wakodahatchee in September and October. By late November they are very common. They can be found throughout the park in the Winter, but are especially prevalent in the trees on the berms and in the bulrush. To me, the amazing thing about these birds is that they spend the summers in west-central Canada, Labrador, and Newfoundland where they breed. Each Fall they make the trip to South Florida and are prevalent enough to be found in parking lots as well as parks.