5.5” long. The Prothonotary Warbler is a large plump warbler with a relatively long bill and short tail and black legs. The head is a brilliant golden yellow with a prominent black eye. There are occasionally red feathers on the crown. It has yellow undersides with yellow/green on the back and blue/gray upper tail and blue/gray wings with no wing bars. There are white undertail coverts and white tail spots that are evident when the tail is spread. The female is somewhat less vibrant in coloration.
The Prothonotary Warbler is a locally common breeder in the Forest. It is best seen near water. It has nested along stream trail and most recently along the marsh in nest boxes. It arrives in late April to early May and leaves by mid to late August.
The Prothonotary Warbler was formerly called the “Golden Swamp Warbler”. It moves leisurely while feeding and probes around trunks and branches and rotten stumps. It is the only eastern warbler that nests in cavities usually just a few feet above the ground. The male builds several nests and then sings vigorously until the female arrives and chooses a nest site. The song is a series of loud notes of one pitch “tsweet, tsweet, tsweet, tsweet, tsweet”.
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