palm warbler

palm warbler (Setophaga palmarum)
Photo © Alan Murphy Photography

FEATURES
The palm warbler is about five and one-fourth inches long (tail tip to bill tip in preserved specimen). The corners of its tail show white spots. The rump has green-yellow feathers. A white line above the eye is present. There are yellow feathers under the tail and green-brown back feathers. Both sexes show a rust-red head when breeding.

BEHAVIORS
This species is a very rare winter resident in northern Illinois. It wags its tail and spends most of its time near or close to the ground. It nests in Canada. Spring migrants begin arriving in Illinois in late April. Fall migrants start appearing in the state in August. The palm warbler overwinters in the states along the Gulf of Mexico and south to Central America and the Caribbean islands. It eats insects and fruits.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae