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Photo by Todd Fink/Daybreak Imagery |
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Warblers, with their brilliantly colored feathers, are the tiny jewels of Ohio's bird families. They are very active - constantly flittering around. Most are yellow with black-and-white markings. Their plumage varies considerably from spring to fall, juvenile to adult, and male to female. The tail is square, often with white markings. Warblers feed almost entirely on insects gleaned from leaves and twigs with their slender bills. Members of this family abound in any Ohio woodland or brushy area during the spring and fall migration seasons. In spring their buzzlike songs (not warbling) fill the air with a delightful chorus.
Listen
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Prairie Warbler
Dendroica discolor
At-a-Glance
• Incubation: 11-14 days
• Clutch Size: 3-5 eggs
• Young Fledge: 9-10 days after hatching
• Typical Foods: insects
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Description
Prairie warblers are olive colored above and yellow below with black streaks and spots on its sides. Male and female prairie warblers are similar, although males have more streaks than females.
Habitat and Habits
The prairie warbler inhabits scrubby fields, locust groves in reclaimed strip mines, old clear-cuts, and cedar groves. This species has a very pleasing, easy to learn song -- a rapid, buzzy zee-zee-zee-zee that ascends high up the scale. Prairie warblers can be extroverts too -- often the male will deliver his song from a conspicuous perch, such as the tip of a shrub or small tree, or occasionally while perched on a telephone wire. Most have quit singing by mid-July.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
Nests are placed low in a bush or tree. They are cup-shaped and made of grass, leaves, and hair. |
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