This bright yellow songbird was recently designated South Carolina’s official State Migratory Bird by the state legislature and Gov. McMaster. The Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) remains the official state bird.

The Warbler’s new status in SC is credited, in part, to the efforts of a nature-loving 4th grader in Columbia named Jack Ragley. In his avian-advocating speech before legislators, the nine-year-old told his audience that since the Prothonotary elects to come every summer to South Carolina from its winter home in Central and South America,  the state should “choose it, too.”

The prothonotary nests in pre-existing tree or old stump cavities rather than making their own, and are prime candidates for wooden nesting boxes. Apparently they aren’t especially picky about housing concerns, though, and have been found living in glass jars, mailboxes, and other peculiar places.

They have a distinctive, loud, and rhythmic song, often described as a series of 4 to 14 "sweet, sweet, sweet”  notes. Although not currently on the endangered lists, these warblers prefer wetlands, which are being aggressively deplenished in South Carolina. Even young Jack acknowledges, “If the places aren’t taken care of, the birds don’t have many other options.”

The male prothonotary has a lemon-yellow, rather stocky body with an olive back and bluish or slate gray wings. Its tail is black with white areas, and its bill is also black. As in many species of birds, females resemble their counterparts but their colors are duller. These warblers are only about 5 inches long.

The prothonotary gets its tongue-twisting name from its Canary-colored plumage, which resembles the vibrant yellow robes once worn by papal clerks in the Roman Catholic Church. Its nickname is “golden swamp warbler.”