More Prairie Warblers in Northern Ohio? By Tom Fishburn, Member, WCAS

The male Prairie Warbler is bright and attractive with its olive and yellow colors. It has reddish streaks on its olive back. A black eye stripe and bold black arc under the eye highlights its yellow eyebrow and cheek. The throat is bright yellow and black stripes accent its sides. This species often pumps its long tail which has white outer feathers.

More Prairie Warblers in Northern Ohio?
By Tom Fishburn, Member, WCAS

Prairie Warblers are a coveted species to find for northern Ohio birders. Some birds have been known to occasionally over-shoot their regular migratory pattern and appear here and there closer to the north coast. But if Ohio birders wanted to see Prairie Warblers for sure they would need to look in central and southern areas of the state to attempt to find them. According to breeding bird surveys, Prairie Warbler populations have declined significantly over recent times. So, it would be a pleasant surprise to see more in northern counties.

The male Prairie Warbler is bright and attractive with its olive and yellow colors. It has reddish streaks on its olive back. A black eye stripe and bold black arc under the eye highlights its yellow eyebrow and cheek. The throat is bright yellow and black stripes accent its sides. This species often pumps its long tail which has white outer feathers.

Two years ago I learned that Prairie Warblers were regulars seen south of me in Knox County. This was the closest location to my home that I had become aware of, about a 1-3/4 hour drive. So, in May 2020 I made a trip to Honey Run Highlands to look for them.  Sure enough, I heard the song I had learned and only heard a few times before. I was fortunate to follow the song and see the bird teed up nicely singing away for a time before it moved into hiding.

This year I learned that a pair had nested in the Cuyahoga Valley in 2020 and have returned. On World Migratory Bird Day, Saturday, May 8th I attempted to look for these special birds. When I arrived at the Virginia Kendall Hills location in the early afternoon it was damp, overcast, and disappointingly quiet. So, I wandered further towards the lake. Passing by a marsh I recognized the song of a Common Yellowthroat. As common as Yellowthroats are they are regular teasers that sing loud but rarely appear in the open.  While looking for it I spotted some movement in the reeds. Surprisingly, the first bird I spotted was a Prairie Warbler!  But it did not stay long here. I did also see the Common Yellowthroat a little later.

I decided to walk some other trails for a while.  The weather improved and I later returned to the location where I first started looking.  This time, even sooner than I expected and before hearing a chirp I spotted one the warblers close by along the trail.  Not long after it moved around, teed up and sung.  Then a second bird came close, chipping alarm calls.

At home reviewing my photos I was confused. Both birds looked bright and so similar.  I’ve heard that only male warblers sing and I did not remember hearing the second bird sing, only calling those alarm chips. I expected to see a male and a female and wondered if the second bird was a bright female. But no, it was not. These were indeed two males close by each other.

Unfortunately for the second bird, my photos showed it had a damaged tail with only one or two feathers left. I could only speculate what happened. Did this bird suffer damage from a territorial dispute with the other male?

So are Prairie Warblers finding northern Ohio a suitable place to breed?  

On May 10th while visiting Judge’s Lake in Medina County I heard the song of the Prairie Warbler again.  Further up the trail as I approached the area I heard a bird singing.  Watching a quick flight I saw two birds from a distance.  Then one of these perched high up on an evergreen singing away.

I returned to Kendall Hills on May 13th. This time I saw only one bird briefly. This was the bird with the damaged tail. It seemed to be fine and was singing off and on. On June 9th, I again visited the same area. It was not long after I parked that I heard a distant song but it came from the other side of the tree line that split two fields. So, I decided to take that trail and before long I saw the bird singing atop a bare tree. This male Prairie had a full tail of feathers. I checked other fields and did not see any others. An hour later I saw this bird again singing from the same tree.

Reviewing Jim McCormack’s narrative for the Prairie Warbler in “The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in Ohio” I have hope to see more in northern counties. Quoting Jim as he referenced the Allegheny Plateau in the north-east and the Upper Great Lakes Plain north-western areas of the state, “… observations in nonpriority blocks suggest that the species persists at low densities in suitable habitat." For sure I am thrilled at seeing Prairie Warblers closer to home this year!

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Photo: Tom Fishburn

Tom Fishburn got interested in birding in 1980 inspired by two avid birding friends in New Jersey.  In 2006 he moved to Ohio not expecting how wonderful the birding and the birding community is here.  Tom only started with photography about ten years ago.  Eventually, his interests grew to include butterflies, dragonflies, and wildflowers.

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