This is a guide to help people identify the age of Prothonotary Warbler nestlings in a nest box. I hope it helps promote the Prothonotary Warbler conservation effort.
This is first for my home here in Brooks GA. We always have had boxes for bluebirds. This spring my husband came in excited about goldfinch building in our bluebirds house in front yard, I said they don’t build in boxes, he said, well this one does, so I started watching the house and saw the most beautiful yellow warbler I have ever seen, the Prothonotary (or Shining) Warbler. The First for us, they are so beautiful, the female also just more gray on her. We are blessed to have had them, they all fledged today, gray is good camouflage for birds.
On the Prothonotary Warbler, Do we need to clean out nest or will they have several clutches like bluebirds? We always clean out nest for bluebirds to start a new nest. Please let me know.
Congratulations on your surprise guests!! Our Southern Ohio nesting Prothonotaries usually have 2 broods and are done by mid to late July. My only experience with them is in grids of 4 to 8 nest boxes near or in standing water. They usually use a new nest box for their second brood. We do leave old nests in the box unless they are flattened and full of bird poop. Then in late winter we clean out the boxes in preparation for April migration.
WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOW. I had no idea at this spleeeeeeeeeeeendor
This is first for my home here in Brooks GA. We always have had boxes for bluebirds. This spring my husband came in excited about goldfinch building in our bluebirds house in front yard, I said they don’t build in boxes, he said, well this one does, so I started watching the house and saw the most beautiful yellow warbler I have ever seen, the Prothonotary (or Shining) Warbler. The First for us, they are so beautiful, the female also just more gray on her. We are blessed to have had them, they all fledged today, gray is good camouflage for birds.
On the Prothonotary Warbler, Do we need to clean out nest or will they have several clutches like bluebirds? We always clean out nest for bluebirds to start a new nest. Please let me know.
Congratulations on your surprise guests!! Our Southern Ohio nesting Prothonotaries usually have 2 broods and are done by mid to late July. My only experience with them is in grids of 4 to 8 nest boxes near or in standing water. They usually use a new nest box for their second brood. We do leave old nests in the box unless they are flattened and full of bird poop. Then in late winter we clean out the boxes in preparation for April migration.