Prothonotary Warbler
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Parulidae Genus: Protonotaria Species: citrea
Binomial name
Protonotaria citrea

The Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.

These birds have an olive back with blue-grey wings and tail, yellow underparts, a relatively long pointed bill and black legs. Adult males have a bright orange-yellow head; females and immature birds are duller in colour and have a yellow head.

Their breeding habitat is hardwood swamps in southern Canada and the eastern United States. This bird nests in a cavity, sometimes using old Downy Woodpecker nests. The male often builds several incomplete unused nests in his territory; the female builds the real nest.

These birds migrate to the West Indies, Central America and northern South America.

They forage actively in low foliage in wet areas; these birds mainly eat insects and snails.

The song of this bird is a loud repeated tweet-tweet-tweet-tweet.

These birds are declining in numbers due to loss of habitat. They are also frequently victimized by the Brown-headed Cowbird.