Birds of Arlington - Prothonotary Warbler

Birds of Arlington

Prothonotary Warbler

(Protonotaria citrea)

Adult*

Present: Migration

Visual Identification

Where and When to see them

Visual Identification

(Sorry about photo quality, will be updated when possible)

Prothonotary Warblers have a bright yellow head with the color extending to the flanks and belly, with the vibrance fading at the edges of the flanks. They have extensive olive on their back, scapulars, and wing coverts with slate gray flight feathers and feet. Their tail is very short starting light gray from the body and ending with small black tips. They have white undertail coverts and slate gray uppertail coverts. Their bill is also lightly peach colored and the upper mandible's point is black.

Voice

The voice is currently unknown to us.

Habitat

Prothonotary Warblers spend their time and nest in swamps. They will occasionally be seen in stream-side riparian woods, wet forest edge, or densely wooded suburbia near a source of water. they are usually seen near ponds or streams, much more common in the latter.

Behavior

These Warblers are very active, moving from one branch to the next in a matter of seconds. They forage in wet places near a source of water in dense brush thickets and will rarely go above 20 feet off the ground. Despite the fact that they like to forage close to the ground they do not touch nor forage on it. They forage quickly and silently, moving foraging spot every few minutes. They also are constantly looking around, either as if food, a predator, or someone to play with is always close by.

Comparisons

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warblers are completely yellow except for their nape, back, and wings. Males also have chestnut streaking from their breast to down their sides, flanks, and bellies. Yellow Warblers also forage in the middle to high levels in deciduous trees and riparian forests, sometimes very far from water.

Nashville Warbler

While Prothonotary Warblers have a completely yellow head, Nashvilles have a gray helmet with a small orange crown that is rarely visible. They are also much more active, and also stray to dryer habitats.

Pine Warbler

Pine Warblers have two white wing bars and lighter wings. Unlike the Prothonotary Warbler, they lack the black tail tip. They might have a slight spectacle pattern but it mostly remains unseen. They prefer dryer habitats, usually in pine tree stands.

Where and When to see them

These birds are rare during migration and summer at Long Branch Park. The best place to see them would be the Poplar pond at Long Branch nature center, and the river that passes by the pond. The best time would be early May around 8-9:30 in the morning after a rain. They would be more likely to be seen then because the rain will flush insects out the morning after it stops, warbler migration peaks on near May 5th, birds are most active in the "early" morning, and that Long branch is a densely wooded area with adjacent water sources, which would make it the closest thing to a swamp in our parks. Another place to see them could be Sparrow Pond at Glencaryln Park at the same time, but they are less likely to be see there as the pond is next the the trail where there is a lesser amount of trees.

*Picture not taken locally (at Huntley Meadows instead)

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