Prothonotary warbler
| Prothonotary Warbler | |
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| Male | |
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| Female | |
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| Genus: | Protonotaria Baird, 1858
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| Species: | P. citrea
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| Binomial name | |
| Protonotaria citrea (Boddaert, 1783)
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The Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. It is the only member of the genus Protonotaria.[1]
The Prothonotary Warbler is 13 cm long and weighs 12.5 g. It has an olive back with blue-grey wings and tail, yellow underparts, a relatively long pointed bill and black legs. The adult male has a bright orange-yellow head; females and immature birds are duller and have a yellow head. In flight from below, the short, wide tail has a distinctive two-toned pattern that is white at the base and dark at the tip.[2]
It breeds in hardwood Swamps in extreme southeastern Ontario and eastern United States. It is the only eastern warbler that nests in natural or artificial cavities, sometimes using old Downy Woodpecker holes. The male often builds several incomplete, unused nests in his territory; the female builds the real nest. It lays 3-7 eggs. It winters in the West Indies, Central America and northern South America.
The preferred foraging habitat is dense, woody streams, where the Prothonotary Warbler forages actively in low foliage, mainly for Insects and snails.
The song of this bird is a simple, loud, ringing sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet. The call is a loud, dry chip, like that of a Hooded Warbler. Its flight call is a loud seeep.[3]
These birds are declining in numbers due to loss of habitat. They are also parasitized by the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater), or outcompeted for nest sites by the House Wren (Troglodytes aedon). It is listed as Endangered in Canada.
This bird was named after officials in the Roman Catholic Church known as the protonotarii, who wore golden robes. It was once known as the Golden Swamp Warbler.[4]
The prothonotary warbler became known in the 1940s as the bird that, in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, established a connection between Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss. Chambers had testified that Hiss enjoyed bird-watching, and once bragged about seeing a prothonotary warbler. Hiss later testified to the same incident, causing many members to become convinced of the pair's acquaintance.[5][6][7]
References
- ^ Curson, Jon; Quinn, David; Beadle, David (1994). New World Warblers. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 159–161. ISBN 0-7136-3932-6.
- ^ Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion, 2006, Houghton Mifflin
- ^ National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, Alderfer, 2006
- ^ Bird: The definitive visual guide, 2007, DK Publishing
- ^ Chambers, Whittaker (1952). Witness. Random House. pp. 362, 564, 572, 573, 580. ISBN 0-89526-571-0.
- ^ Linder, Doug. "The Trials of Alger Hiss: A Commentary" Famous Trials, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, 2003.
- ^ Miller, John J. "The Unsung Hero of the Cold War" National Review, 30 April 2007.
- Template:IUCN2006
- Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
External links
- Prothonotary Warbler videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
- Prothonotary Warbler Information - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Prothonotary Warbler Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Prothonotary Warbler - Protonotaria citrea - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center - Bird of the Month: Prothonotary Warbler "The Swamp Songster" by Lisa Petit (January 1997)
- Prothonotary Warbler Bird Sound