WarblersNew World Warblers

Palm Warbler

Setophaga palmarum

RareRare in Travis County but uncommon in Texas

The palm warbler is a small songbird in the New World warbler family.

Songs and calls

Song · United States
David A. Brinkman · xeno-canto XC1009101 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Call · United States
Paul Marvin · xeno-canto XC896012 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Song · United States
Andrew Spencer · xeno-canto XC79515 · CC BY-NC-ND 2.5
Call · United States
Daniel Parker · xeno-canto XC878475 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Bar chart and range on eBird

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Where it's been seen

Hotspots with reports in the last 30 days.

Not reported in Travis County in the last 30 days

Browse species seen recently

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Telling it apart

Field marks that matter, and the birds it's most often mixed up with.

Brownish, with a pale eyebrow, yellow under the tail and a constantly bobbing tail. The crown is chestnut in spring, brown in winter.^[1]
Rare here, mostly in spring and fall.^[2]

Possibly mistaken for

Orange-crowned WarblerCommon
Both have yellow under the tail; Palm bobs its tail.^{[1, 3]}
Palm Warbler:
Brownish, with a pale eyebrow; bobs its tail constantly.
Orange-crowned Warbler:
Olive, with a dark eyeline and faint streaks; flicks its tail.

Sources (3) and credits

Palm Warbler, Audubon Guide to North American Birds
Travis County bar charts (eBird Basic Dataset), eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Orange-crowned Warbler, Audubon Guide to North American Birds

Lookalike photos from Wikimedia Commons: Orange-crowned Warbler by Dan Pancamo (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Recordings: Palm Warbler (song) by David A. Brinkman (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, xeno-canto); Orange-crowned Warbler (song) by AUDEVARD Aurélien (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, xeno-canto)

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2026 in Travis County

From every checklist reported in the county this year: who found it first, who finds it most, and when.

First of 2026: Apr 17 · Robin May-Davis at Nicholas Dawson Park
Latest report: Apr 17 · Robin May-Davis at Nicholas Dawson Park
Reported on: 1 checklist, 1 day

Who finds it most

1. Robin May-Davis · 1 list

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Through the year

Rare or irregular

Palm Warbler: share of complete checklists, 2016–2026

Show as table

Palm Warbler: share of complete checklists, 2016–2026
Week	Checklists reporting it
Jan 1–7	0.2%
Jan 8–14	<0.1%
Jan 15–21	<0.1%
Jan 22–end	0.2%
Feb 1–7	<0.1%
Feb 8–14	0%
Feb 15–21	0%
Feb 22–end	0%
Mar 1–7	0%
Mar 8–14	0%
Mar 15–21	0%
Mar 22–end	0%
Apr 1–7	0%
Apr 8–14	0.3%
Apr 15–21	0.3%
Apr 22–end	<0.1%
May 1–7	<0.1%
May 8–14	0%
May 15–21	0%
May 22–end	0%
Jun 1–7	0%
Jun 8–14	0%
Jun 15–21	0%
Jun 22–end	0%
Jul 1–7	0%
Jul 8–14	0%
Jul 15–21	0%
Jul 22–end	0%
Aug 1–7	0%
Aug 8–14	0%
Aug 15–21	0%
Aug 22–end	0%
Sep 1–7	0%
Sep 8–14	<0.1%
Sep 15–21	0%
Sep 22–end	0%
Oct 1–7	0%
Oct 8–14	0.1%
Oct 15–21	0%
Oct 22–end (now)	0%
Nov 1–7	0.3%
Nov 8–14	0%
Nov 15–21	0%
Nov 22–end	0%
Dec 1–7	<0.1%
Dec 8–14	<0.1%
Dec 15–21	0.3%
Dec 22–end	<0.1%

This week: Not usually reported now
Peak: early Nov · 0.3% of checklists
Earliest eBird record here: Apr 1, 1977
Checklists reporting it: 185 across 20 years
eBird high count: 2 (Nov 30, 2014)
First of 2026: Apr 17
All year, here vs Texas: <0.1% of checklists here, 0.2% statewide
Texas counties with records: 112 of 254 since 2016

Best hotspots for it

Share of complete checklists at each hotspot that reported it (2016–2026). Hotspots with fewer than 15 checklists are left out, and the order discounts small samples, so a hotspot with few checklists can sit below one with a lower share.

1St. Andrew's Episcopal School (limited access)0.8% of 132
2Southeast Greenway, Mueller1% of 899
3Lake Travis--Bob Wentz Windy Point Pk0.4% of 779
4Commons Ford Ranch Metro Park<0.1% of 1,685

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