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Prothonotary Warbler
Adult male--Upper parts greenish; entire head and under parts brilliant orange, lighter on the belly.
Adult female--Not so richly coloured. Length--5.50. See Fig. 20, Plate D.
Breeding Range--From Illinois and Virginia southward, rare farther north. The nest of leaves, twigs, moss, and fine roots is placed in a hole in a tree or stump, in the bottom-lands. 4 to 6 and rarely 7 eggs are laid; they are glossy white or pale buff, "spotted, blotched, and dotted with rich chestnut brown; in some the ground colour being almost obscured by the markings" (Davie). Size--.73 x .52.
These beautiful Warblers frequent streams and swamps, building their nests in stumps or trees that overhang or stand in the water, the deserted nests of the woodpeckers and chickadees being in much demand; the hole selected is very low, sometimes within two feet, and seldom more than fourteen feet, of the ground. The breeding season is in May.