Prairie Warbler

This small, active insect-eating bird is equipped with a thin, pointed bill. It often wags its tail. Many are migrating back from Mexico or islands of the Caribbean, but some of them are year-round residents in the southern parts of their range. The distinctive face pattern can be hard to discern in immatures. Look and listen for them in scrubby fields and forests throughout the eastern and south-central U.S.—but not on prairies! Photo: Laura Erickson