Palm Warbler

Here's a bird you're most likely to see in New Jersey during migration; it's the Palm Warbler. Pine Warblers spend winters at least a little south of us and got their name by being noticed on a Caribbean island with Palm Trees, but they breed well up north into Canada. They probably look at New Jersey a little like a subway; they wouldn't want to live there, but it's critical for their commute.

Since they mostly just pass through, I don't see Palm Warblers a lot. Unlike many warblers, the PWs are happy to forage on the ground, and can sometimes be noticed by their habit of bobbing their tails up and down a lot, way more than the average bird.

We're probably more likely to see the eastern version of the PW which is yellow all the way to the belly. There is also a western version that has a yellow throat but then the yellow fades to white. But since migration is an imperfect science, it probably wouldn't be shocking to see some westerners who are a little off course stop by in New Jersey too.

I think this bird is in mid-warble, presumably a lonely PW looking for a migration buddy to travel with.

April 13, 2022 at Duke Farms
Photo 189541514, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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