Prairie Warbler (PRAW)

Setophaga discolor

Male Prairie Warbler  © Evan Lipton / Macaulay Library
Female Prairie Warbler © Michael Stubblefield / Macaulay Library

Range

Prairie Warblers are medium-distance migrators with their full range spanning from the Caribbean Islands to the Northeast U.S. Prairie Warblers are found year-round in most of Florida with their breeding range reaching from Eastern Texas to Southern Maine. Near this breeding range, there is a small patch of migration-only range that encompasses many borders of Southern and Midwestern states—notably the southern half of the Mississippi River. Prairie Warblers also have an area of non-breeding habitat in the Caribbean Islands and small sections of the surrounding coast in Middle and South America.

Additional Maps

Identification

The Prairie Warbler is a small yellow warbler with black streaks on its side. It is olive-gray on the upper part of the body and wings. Male Prairie Warblers are more vibrant than females and immature Prairie Warblers (which have olive streaks). A Prairie Warbler’s song is made up of ascending sudden jerky buzzing notes often transcribed as a zee noise. Prairie Warblers sing two song types, an “A Song” and a “B Song.” The A Song is sung by males for courtship, whereas the B Song is used to deter other males from their territory—both songs are similar in sound, but are distinct. The A Song is made up of ascending sudden jerky buzzing notes often transcribed as a zee noise. There are usually 15 of these zee notes, with the pitch ascending so high that humans are unable to hear it. The B Song of the Prairie Warbler is harder to categorize as it’s diverse and not always the same from individual to individual. There are often two parts to this song with the first part (usually) being several long clear notes and the second part being several short raspy notes.

Listen to its songs and calls here.

Habitat

The Prairie Warbler prefers early successional habitats and breeds in shrubby areas without closed canopies. Prairie Warblers are often found inhabiting areas with scattered Southern pine (therefore shrubby layer is present), barrens (scrub oak and pines, maintained by fire and sandy), regenerating forests, mangroves, grassland-forest contact areas, abandoned fields with shrub growth, and dunes. Non-breeding habitat does not seem to differ from habitat used during breeding season.

Conservation Status 

  • Listed as Vulnerable by Alabama State Species of Greatest Conservation Need
  • Listed as Vulnerable by Arkansas State Species of Greatest Conservation Need (pg 1609)
  • Listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Delaware by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control 
  • Listed as Vulnerable by Florida State Species of Greatest Conservation Need (pg 56)
  • Listed as Least Concern by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature
  • Listed as G5 – Secure by Nature Serve
  • Listed as a Species of Interest in New Jersey by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
  • Listed as Vulnerable by North Carolina State Species of Greatest Conservation Need (pg 49)
  • Listed as SGCN (Species of Greatest Conservation Need) in Vermont as identified in the Vermont Wildlife Action Plan

Threats to Conservation

The largest threat to conservation is human activity. Deforestation led to an abundance of habitat suited to the Prairie Warbler, which has improved the Prairie Warbler’s abundance. However, practices that allow forest regeneration (suppression of fire) can lead to a decline in the Prairie Warbler population in the area.

Funding Opportunities
General Management Guides
Regional Management Guides
Northeast
Midwest & Central
Southeast
Resources
Works Cited