Winter months are a great time to look for a small songbird called a prairie warbler in the Tampa Bay Area! A smaller number of them are here year-round, but many migrating prairie warblers will also join in and winter in Florida.
The prairie warbler is an approximately five inches long songbird that is identified by its bright yellow coloration with dark, fine streaks around the eye and along its sides. These birds consistently bob their tails up and down. This characteristic helps with a quick observation. I often refer to them as “mangrove warblers,” because I often hear them calling in the mangroves when I’m fishing the islands throughout Tampa Bay.
The prairie warblers are found in the summer along most of the eastern seaboard, through the Appalachian Mountains, and through most of the Deep South. They will winter along the Florida coast and in many of the Caribbean islands. They feed, on almost exclusively, on insects, so try planting fire bush or other heavy flowering plants to attract them to your yard.
To find one, go to a coastal park like Fort DeSoto, Honeymoon Island State Park, or E.G. Simmons Park and see if you can find one for yourself!