New World Warblers
Setophaga palmarum
The Palm Warbler is a small songbird known for its distinctive tail-wagging behavior. Unlike many warblers, it frequently forages on the ground in open areas. This species breeds in the boreal forests of Canada and the northern United States, migrating to the southeastern U.S., Caribbean, and Central America for winter.
Typical adult measurements.
Individuals and populations vary.
01 / The telltale details
Start with shape and behavior. Then look for the smaller details.
Constantly bobs its tail up and down, whether on the ground or perched.
Brownish-olive back, yellow to yellowish underparts with streaking on sides, and a rusty cap.
Bright yellow undertail coverts are consistently visible.
A pale to bright yellow eyebrow stripe is present above the eye.
02 / A place in the world
Breeds in sphagnum bogs with scattered conifers like cedar, tamarack, and spruce, or in dry pine barrens. During migration and winter, it favors open areas such as weedy fields, forest edges, and scrubby habitats.
Breeds across Canada and the northeastern United States, including the Great Lakes region and northern Maine. Winters primarily in the southeastern U.S., along the Gulf Coast, throughout the Caribbean, and south to Central America.
A migratory species, the Palm Warbler is an early spring and late fall migrant compared to many other warblers. It travels between its northern breeding grounds and southern wintering areas, with some individuals wintering on the Pacific Coast.
03 / Listen a little closer
The song is a dull, weak, and uneven buzzy trill. Its call is a sharp "chek."
04 / The life behind the feathers
Primarily consumes insects, including beetles, flies, and caterpillars. During fall and winter, its diet supplements with seeds and various berries, such as bayberry and hawthorn.
Forages extensively on the ground, walking or running to find prey. It also gleans insects from low vegetation and shrubs, and occasionally sallies out to catch flying insects.
The female builds an open cup nest on or near the ground, often concealed under grass clumps or in sphagnum moss at the base of a small tree or shrub. Nests are constructed from grasses and bark shreds, lined with finer materials.
Known for its constant tail-bobbing, the Palm Warbler spends more time on the ground than most other warblers. Outside of the breeding season, it may join mixed-species flocks, often with sparrows.
One more reason to pay attention
The Palm Warbler was named from a specimen collected in Hispaniola, an island with palm trees, despite not typically inhabiting palms.
Approximately 98% of all Palm Warblers breed in Canada's vast boreal forest.
It is one of only three *Setophaga* warblers that incessantly bobs its tail.
05 / An eye for the difference
Prairie Warblers also wag their tails but lack a chestnut cap, have bold dark streaks on their sides, and possess yellow spectacles.
Cape May Warblers do not have yellow undertail coverts and do not exhibit tail-wagging behavior.
Yellow-rumped Warblers lack yellow undertail coverts and do not wag their tails.
AI-assisted species research. Prepared September 2026. Details can vary across regions and populations.