282 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 



caterpillars, and moths. He reports it "very destructive at 

 times to hairy caterpillars, eating large quantities of them."t 



PROTHONOTARY WARBLER : Protonotaria eitrea 

 (Boddaert) . 



State records. — The prothonotary warbler, known often as 

 the golden swamp warbler, is a fairly common summer resi- 

 dent throughout the State. It is recorded as common at 

 Leighton and at Greensboro; it breeds at both these places 

 and also at Mobile, Scale, Tuscaloosa, Squaw Shoals, Ardell, 

 Guntersville, Castleberry, and Abbeville. The bird was com- 

 mon in the overflowed bottoms at Jacksen Lake, April 19, 

 1912, and probably breeds there. 



First arrivals in spring were noted at Ck)osada, April 12 

 (1877) ; Greensboro, April 13 (1889) ; and Scottsboro, April 

 18 (1914) . Incubated eggs were taken by Golsan at Autauga- 

 ville, June 16. 



General habits. — The favorite haunts of this brilliant war- 

 bler are wet river bottoms or wooded swamps (PI. VI, fig. 1). 

 It remains close to the ground, feeding much of the time in 

 low bushes over the water, where its brilliant colors are dis- 

 played to best advantage. It is a very active bird, almost 

 constantly in motion, and in the breeding season a frequent 

 singer as it flits from bush to bush. The song is quite loud 

 and penetrating, sounding like the syllables peet, tsweet, 

 tsweet, tsweet, tsweet, all on the same tone. The nest is 

 placed in a hollow stub or the deserted nest of a chickadee or 

 downy woodpecker, usually over water, and from 4 to 15 feet 

 above the surface. 



Food habits. — The food habits of the prothonotary warbler 

 are not well known, but probably the bird feeds mainly on 

 insects; J. Percy Moore states that it catches various flies, 

 beetles, and caterpillars and Audubon says he found small 

 snails in its stomach. 



JForbush, E. H., Useful Birds »ncl their Protection, p. 192, 1907. 



