LXXVIII 



PROTHONOTARY WaRBLER ; GoLDEN SwAMP WaRBLER 



637. Protonotaria citrea 



The Prothonotary Warbler is a rather common smii- 

 mer resident in the vicinity of Kansas City, Missouri, 

 but it is rarely seen and recognized by the average bird 

 enthusiast; as its habits and nesting sites are usually 

 away from the easily followed paths. It arrives a few 

 days ahead of most of the Warblers on their northern 

 journey, departing for the South several weeks in ad- 

 vance of the same throng. 



Prothonotary Warblers breed throughout their sum- 

 mer range. Few birds are more universally covered 

 with cadmium yellow plumage than are these six-inch 

 Warblers. They select for their nests abandoned Wood- 

 peckers' holes in dead willows in swampy places. This 

 habit, in itself, aids in identification of these birds. 

 Should you see a little yellow bird collecting food on 

 driftwood and half-sunken rocks in a swamp and carry- 

 ing it into a hole in a dead willow leaning or standing 

 in the water, south of latitude 43 degrees, it would be 

 a safe guess to call it the bird under discussion. They 

 also nest in other localities, such as old cans, auger-holes 

 and trestleworks, usually near the water. 



The love-making of these Warblers is vigorous and 

 hasty and when mated the two are a devoted pair. Their 

 song is sweet, but limited in range. 



Sixty miles south of Kansas City there is a vast 

 tract of bottom land subject to annual overflow. Two 

 hundred acres of this land was made into a permanent 

 swamp when a gun club built a retaining bank to keep 

 the overflow water from draining into the nearby stream. 

 This water has killed all of the trees, many of which 

 are still standing. Probably one-half are willows, the 

 soft wood of which is easily excavated by the Downy, 

 Hairy and other Woodpeckers. The last year's nests are 

 invariably appropriated by the Swamp Warblers, since 



207 



