09/02/2026
Have you ever seen a quick, yellow flash dart past you in the swamp? That was probably a Prothonotary Warbler!
Commonly referred to as the golden swamp warbler, these songbirds were given their scientific name of "Protonotaria citrea" in correlation to the Byzantine court protonotaries. These high-ranking officials assisted the Pope with record-keeping and legal matters, while wearing golden-yellow silk robes.
They are the only eastern warbler that creates its nests in cavities, either natural or artificial, and frequently use old downy woodpecker holes. They typically nest in bottomland forests and swamps.
Scouting best in low foliage, Prothonotary Warblers hunt for insects and snails. Dashing from branch to branch, these tiny birds exhibit quick, twitchy movements; they are sometimes even spotted crawling upside down!
Although their conservation status is of least concern, they are experiencing a decline in population numbers due to habitat loss, and parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird.
This songbird sounds real 'sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet'! Have you ever seen or heard a Prothonotary Warbler?
