Forest and Rangeland Birds of the United States

Natural History and Habitat Use

Palm Warbler -- Dendroica palmarum


RANGE: Breeds from southern Mackenzie and northern Alberta to central Quebec and southern Newfoundland south to northeastern British Columbia, central Alberta, northern Minnesota, southern Quebec, Maine, and Nova Scotia. Winters mostly from north-central Texas to North Carolina south to southern Texas, the Gulf Coast, southern Florida, and islands in the Caribbean.

STATUS: Fairly common.

HABITAT: Inhabits boggy areas dominated by tamarack, black spruce, and white cedar, and dry, open forests of spruce or jack pine.

NEST: Sometimes nests in loose colonies. Usually builds nest on the ground, nearly buried in sphagnum mosses, but may nest in the low branches of conifer saplings.

FOOD: Forages on the ground, gleans food from twigs and conifer cones, and also catches flying insects. Mainly eats insects, but also some vegetable matter, especially barberries during winter.

REFERENCES: Bent 1953b, Griscom and Sprunt 1979.


Previous Section -- Family Emberizidae
Return to Family List
Return to Contents