Prothonotary warbler (AKA swamp candle) is one of the rarer nesting birds in our region. It likes swamps - which are wooded wetlands. It is often easier to find from a canoe or kayak. Confirming its nest is a task for the adventurous. They seem to be expanding their range in Cook County.

One brave but anonymous soul travels the DesPlaines River floodplain along the Cook and Lake County (IL) border, searching the swamps for Prothonotary nests. She posts under the name Birdlinger Birds (YouTube, Instagram and X). If you’ve tried to find a bird in a swamp, you know that there are many obstacles - wet ground, unsure footing, difficult tangles of vegetation, poor sightlines. These birds have a distinctive song, which helps. Another thing that helps are birding mentors. She has two - Jarod Hitchings and Randall F. Wade. A photo from Randall led her to go back and check snags more carefully, and to discover a nest there. Jarod sent encouragement, and references which helped her to learn the habits of these birds. (According to Bent, these birds would nest in all kinds of places in the 30’s - mason jars, cigar boxes, paper sacks, even the pocket of an old hunting coat in a farmhouse near the Kankakee River. Things have changed!)

Prothonotary feeding a cowbird chick in its nest. Cowbirds lay their eggs in smaller birds’ nests. The large cowbird young often monopolize the food and even push the parent’s own chicks out of the nest.

You can share her observations through this wonderful video of scenes from the life of these warblers. These birds were found nesting in Cook and Lake County along the DesPlaines River. This year three young fledged from the Cook County nest, and another three from one of the Lake County nests. One Lake County nest was parasitized by cowbirds.

Scenes like this are going on in our local woods every summer - a singing bird, a parent keeping a nest clean by removing a fecal sac, a curious, recently-fledged youngster exploring, a giant young cowbird being fed by a tiny parent, and more. They are brought to life here by a few incandescent yellow-orange models and an intrepid, curious birder.

Jeff Bilsky explores farther east, along the Skokie Lagoons - a former peat marsh along the East Fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River. Although the hydrology and vegetation of the lagoons are hopelessly altered by draining, the creation of recreational lakes, pollution and the permanent re-routing of waterways; the wooded floodplains are home to many locally rare nesting birds. Prothonotary Warbler is probably the rarest. After many mornings and evenings following clues, Jeff was able to confirm that this brilliant - but surprisingly sneaky - warbler was indeed raising young at the Skokie Lagoons.

This bird’s red feathers could be a rare variation in plumage, which does happen with prothonotaries - or maybe it got too close to a strawberry ice pop?

Nesting prothonotary warblers may be moving into north Cook County from Lake County along both rivers. Amanda Tichacek found singing birds at both Harms Woods and Linne Woods on the Chicago River this summer.

The birds are also active in the Palos area in summer. Do you know about them? We’d love to share your observations. Email us at cas@chicagoaudubon.org

Reference: Life Histories of North American Wood Warblers Part One. Author: Arthur Bent. Release Date: June 28, 2012 [eBook #40100]