The Palm Warbler spends its time walking on the ground, wagging its tail up and down.  This brownish-olive bird has a rusty cap, a bold pale eyebrow stripe and bright yellow below.  They breed mainly in Canada’s boreal forest north of the 50th parallel all across the country.  We see them in the winter when they migrate to the southern U.S and the Caribbean. 

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They forage for food on the ground, often with sparrows, juncos, and Yellow-rumped Warblers but can be spotted by their characteristic tail wagging.  They primarily eat insects including beetles, flies, and caterpillars.  They may eat seeds and berries in the winter when available.

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Palm Warblers breed in bogs and areas with scattered evergreen trees and thick ground cover in the forest.  They build their nests on the ground nestled in peat moss at the base of a small tree or shrub.  They build a cup-shaped nest lining it with fine grasses, feathers and hair.  The nests are small – about 3-4.5 inches in diameter and 2 inches tall.   There are usually 4-5 eggs and at hatching, the chicks are naked with patches of light brown down.  The male and female stay together only during breeding season.

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Palm Warblers are common and of low conservation concern.  About 98% of them breed in Canada vulnerable to extractive industries such as peat harvesting, tar sands oil development and logging.  Palm Warblers are one of the most frequently killed species due to collision at lighted towers across the U.S.  One TV tower in Florida caused the death of more than 1,800 birds during a 25-year period.  The oldest known Palm Warbler was 6 years, 7 months old.