Northern prairie warblers' preferred habitats include "forest edges, pine barrens, and shrubby second-growth forests," according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. By far, the most common warbler in Florida in the winter is the ubiquitous Palm Warbler, (top of page) busily pumping its tail in shrubbery around virtually every home in Florida, but also seen out in the country-side, in farm fields, edges of swamps, along marshes, just about everywhere. Mangroves are now protected, which helps the prairie. It's found along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts mostly in the extreme South Florida, including the Florida Keys. Generally, in Brevard, mangrove forests start giving way to salt marshes. Florida prairie warblers are mostly concentrated in extreme South Florida, but have been found nesting as far north as Brevard and rarely Flagler counties on the Atlantic Coast, which is about as far north as mangroves might be found. While warbler watching is not a prime Florida birding activity in the winter time it does pick up for a brief period in late March and early April when some of the other warblers pass through Florida on their trip north. The second most common winter warbler in Florida is the Yellow-rumped warbler (photo 2) which can be seen flashing its “butter butt” in just about any suitable habitat: woods edges, marshes, road-sides, but less likely to be seen in residential shrubbery. In winter, they're commonly found throughout the state. Not a bird of open prairies, this warbler nests mainly in young second growth scrub and densely overgrown fields in eastern North America. A subspecies that's found only in Florida, called the Florida prairie warbler, S d paludicola, appropriately enough prefers mangrove forests of all things. Contrary to its name, the Prairie Warbler is a bird of scrubby fields, clearcuts, and open woods, where it can be located by its buzzy, ascending song, tail-pumping habit, and black-streaked yellow plumage. The odd thing about the prairie warbler, Setophaga discolor, is its name. Warblers in the winter in Florida are in their basic, drab, “don’t care about courting or attracting a mate,” curl up by the fire in comfort, couldn’t care less plumage. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Black and White, Northern Parula and Prairie Warblers are found in appropriate woodlots or places like Green Cay, Wakodahatchee or Merritt Island NWR, but Yellow-throated Warblers and Ovenbirds can sometimes be found visiting bird feeders. Males are territorial, and will return to the same breeding area year after year. Setophaga discolor. All of my photos displayed in this column were taken in the winter in Florida although I have better photos of some of these birds taken up north when they were migrating or had already reached their breeding grounds. I can’t imagine a local bird looking at some of its northern true snow birds and saying, “At least their contributions here enable me to get through the summer.” At least the true “Snow Birds” do add joy and pleasure to the human snow bird birders who have the opportunity to see how they pass their winter, probably visiting family and friends and meeting new acquaintances from many other new and different areas “up north.” Probably already planning northern summer reunions, I wouldn’t be surprised. Unlike the yellow, it has a dark face mask, with a broad yellow eyebrow; and the top of the skull is also dark. Unfortunately there's still the cowbird problem. While they are pretty plain all winter long it is interesting to watch them begin to get some of their breeding color late in March when they are about to begin their northward migration.