Palm warbler

The palm warbler is a warbler that likes to be on the ground. It walks along the edge of a path or a field, bobbing its tail up and down constantly, which is the easiest way to pick it out among the other small brown-and-yellow birds of spring.

In breeding plumage it wears a rusty cap and a bright yellow throat and undertail. Palm warblers nest on the ground in the bogs and wet spruce forests of the north, so in southern Manitoba they are seen mainly in migration, in April and May and again in September and October. They winter in the southern United States and the Caribbean.

The constant tail-bobbing of a palm warbler gives it away even when it is half hidden, and it makes me smile every time.

For more on the palm warbler and its habitat, see its species guide at All About Birds.

Palm warbler Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the palm warbler in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.