Audubon noted the Palm warbler was “extremely abundant in the Southern States, from the beginning of November to the first of April, when it migrates northward. It is one of the most common birds in the Floridas during winter, especially along the coasts, where they are fond of the orchards and natural woods of orange trees.” But as it was with just about every other warbler, doubt was raised about the correct identification of the Palm warbler.
It was the opinion of John Bachman (1790-1884) that what Audubon was calling a Palm warbler (Sylvia palmarum) “has not yet been met with in the United States.” Bachman convinced Audubon that what he considered a Palm warbler was actually a Yellow Red-poll warbler (Sylvia petechia) as identified by Alexander Wilson (1766-1813) in American Ornithology. Therefore, for the later octavo edition (Plate 90), Audubon removed the male Yellow Red-poll warbler in the double elephant folio (Plate 145) and added the bird to the two Palm warblers (Plate 163) and named them all a Yellow Red-poll wood-warbler (Sylvicola petechia). Audubon then completely dropped the Palm Warbler from the octavo edition.
It has recently been determined that the bird that Bachman and Audubon called a Palm warbler (Sylvia palmarum) and was re-identified as the Yellow Red-poll wood-warbler (Sylvicola petechia) is now recognized as the Mangrove Yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia). The Mangrove Yellow warbler has since been met with in the United States, but only in the extreme southern parts during the spring and summer. Meanwhile, Audubon did identify correctly the Palm warbler. The bird is indeed met with in the United States and could be considered abundant in the Southern States pumping its tail and looking in open, sandy areas for seeds and insects to eat. It is most definitely no longer “extremely abundant.”