The Prothonotary Warbler is a ray of sunshine among the shadows of the swamp. It is almost as though they are lit by a LED light beneath their feathers that allows them to glow wherever they go. It is a wonder how such a vibrant yellow bird can go so unnoticed by the average passerby. I blame it on all the other distractions of the world, and the feeling of always needing to be in a rush. But slow down for a minute and take a walk along a riverbank or millpond in North Carolina, and you will soon be welcomed by the "sweet, sweet" call of the Golden Swamp Warbler.
Prothonotary Warblers overwinter in South America, mostly in the country of Colombia. Late winter, they prep themselves to make a two-thousand-plus mile journey north to the southeastern United States. The warblers take flight and cross the Caribbean Sea, flying over Cuba as they make their way towards Florida. Once they hit Florida, they spread out across the southeast and upward through the Carolinas.
The bright yellow male warblers usually arrive first, during the month of April, to scout nest locations for the females. Prothonotary Warblers prefer low lying Pine and Cypress forests along millponds, beaver dams, swamps and blackwater rivers. These warblers very much prefer to be near the water, and any tree line along a creek in coastal NC, SC or GA is likely to be full of these little yellow birds. The males also look for dead trees, as they use the holes in trees as nesting cavities instead of building a nest on a branch. The male will locate several possible nesting cavities, and when the female arrives, he will show her his "properties" and she will select the best one. The female will lay 3-7 eggs and the babies will hatch about two weeks later.
The low-lying forests and swamps also provide ample food for the Swamp Warblers. Worms, caterpillars, spiders, beetles, moths, ants, and other arboreal invertebrates make up the diet during their stay. In South America, they will also feed on seeds and fruit, but while in the southeast US, they take advantage of the ample insects.
The Prothonotary has a distinctly different personality in its summer home during breeding season, vs when wintering in South America. During the winter down south, they are relatively communal and will hang out with others of the same species. When they come north to breed, they are extremely aggressive in defending their territory. They call out their familiar "sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet", to announce their presence and ward off other Prothonotary Warblers. If another warbler comes into their "yard" they will do battle. I recently witnessed several Prothonotary Warblers fly from opposing sides of the Roanoke River to challenge and fight each other mid-air over the water.
Come September, the young warblers have left the nest and are ready to make their first trip down to South America. Fueled up on worms and bugs, they make the several-thousand-mile journey south. If they were pleased with their summer vacation home in the swamp, they will likely return to the exact same forest the following spring to seek out those same nesting cavities.
The Carolinas will be a little less bright until they make their return.