Prothonotary Warbler

Continuing to share my warbler photos along with information about each species, from my latest book: "Warblers of Arizona, A Guide to Finding and Photographing Warblers in Southern Arizona." 

If you are interested in purchasing it, please email me at exclusivelywildlifephotos.com or info@azuregate.com.

Prothonotary Warbler

Common Name: Prothonotary Warbler

Scientific Name: Protonotaria citrea

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Conservation Status: Least Concern, though loss of 42% over the past 50 years, current population estimate at 1.6 million

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Size: 5.5 inches

Description: male has bright orange-yellow head, chin, neck, and breast; black eye with no eyering; large black bill; green back; short broad white underttail with dark tips; blue-gray wings with no wing bars

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Male/Female: female is duller with blue-gray face versus bright orange-yellow

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Range: northern boundary Minnesota to New York then south along the Gulf Coast of Central and South America; rarely west of the Missouri River

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Migration: summers (breeding) in the United States, winters in the Mexican Gult Coast and Atlantic/Pacific Coasts of Northern South America

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Season for Arizona: rare to Arizona with about 60 reports; from May through October

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Habitat: breed in flooded bottomland forests, wooded swamps, and forests near lakes and streams

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Community Behavior: solitary

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Feeding Behavior: forages by hopping around along branches, twigs, and ground

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Diet: mostly insects including: ants, beetles, spiders, flies, caterpillars, snails, and mollusks; will eat seeds and berries if available

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Nesting Behavior: along with Lucy’s Warbler the only warblers to nest in cavities usually created by woodpeckers, chickadees, or natural holes from fallen branches; nest anywhere from 2 to 30 feet off the ground; 3-7 white eggs with brownish spots; incubation 12-14 days; nestling 9-10 days

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Where to Find in Southern Arizona: will need to look at ABA’s Birding News and Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert daily; unlike other rare birds to Arizona when they are reported it can be a different location each time (Tanque Verde Wash, Huachuca Canyon)

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Comments: named from the bright yellow robes worn by papal clerks, known as prothonotaries

Best Wildlife Photos of 2016: Prothonotary Warbler

Typically only found east of the Missouri River, this Prothonotary Warbler came into Arizona near Tanque Verde Wash about four miles from us. He has stains on his face from the mulberry tree he was in:

Prothonotary Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Yesterday at 11:00 am I read the ABA Birding News and noticed that a Prothonotary Warbler was seen in Tanque Verde Wash at 8:00 am. 

Prothonotary Warblers are typically found only in the Eastern United States, breeding mostly in the Southeast.

Their preferred habitat is wooded swamps. They breed in flooded river bottom hardwoods such as black willow, ash, buttonbush, sweetgum, red maple, hackberry, river birch, and elm; or wetlands with bay trees surrounded by cypress swamp. It winters in the tropics (Central America) in lowland woods and mangrove swamps.

Males arrive on nesting grounds in early April, about a week before females. Males establish territories by singing, vigorous displays, chases, and fighting. Males place small amounts of moss into the nest cavity, building dummy nests, but only female builds real nest. Male displays intensively to the female during courtship by fluffing plumage, and spreading wings and tail. Nest site usually 5-10' up (sometimes 3-30' up), above standing water in hole in tree or stump. Cavities are often old Downy Woodpecker nests. Sometimes excavates its own hole in very rotten stumps. Female fills nest cavity nearly to the entrance hole with moss, dry leaves, twigs and bark; then lines it with rootlets and bark strips.

Breeding populations of these warblers are highly localized because of the extreme habitat specificity required. This makes Prothonotary Warblers vulnerable to habitat destruction. 

Their population has declined by over 40% in the last 50 years because of the clearing of southern swamp forests. It is on the State of the Birds Watch List as a bird species that is at risk.  

Given their habitat, one might well ask why is a single male hanging around in old cottonwood trees in the sonoran desert of Southern Arizona. A good question without a good answer. Yet, every couple of years a single (usually male) finds its way here.

Since it is very rare to Southern Arizona -- and I live only three miles from Tanque Verde Wash, I dropped what I was doing to see if I could find him.

It didn't take too long, about an hour and a half. He landed on a branch about 8 feet off the ground and about 15 feet from me. So I was able to get a nice photo.

Prothonotary Warblers typically feed on butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, mayflies, and spiders. In swamp environments it eats mollusks and isopods. It supplements its diet with seeds, fruit, or nectar. You can see mulberry stains on his head and breast in the photo:

Prothonotary Warbler