Prothonotary Warbler

Protonotaria citrea

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyParulidae (New World Warblers)
GenusProtonotaria (Prothonotary Warblers)
SpeciesProtonotaria citrea (Prothonotary Warbler)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Big Bend National Park

7 Verified sightings at Big Bend National Park From 2019 to 2026

14,283 Verified sightings across all 57 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Prothonotary Warbler

The prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. It is named for its plumage, which resembles the yellow robes once worn by papal clerks (named prothonotaries) in the Roman Catholic Church.

The prothonotary warbler is the only member of the genus Protonotaria and the only eastern warbler that nests in natural or artificial cavities. These warblers often move with quick, jerky, movements and will even crawl upside down on sticks or trees. During the spring they are often seen in wetlands gathering nesting material, or food, for their mate.

The prothonotary warbler was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in 1779 in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux from a specimen collected in Louisiana. Buffon coined the French name Le figuier protonotaire. The bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle, which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text. Neither the plate caption nor Buffon's description included a scientific name but in 1783 the Dutch naturalist... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Big Bend National Park

Setophaga coronata

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Cardellina pusilla

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Setophaga auduboni

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Icteria virens

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Geothlypis trichas

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Leiothlypis crissalis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Setophaga townsendi

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Leiothlypis celata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Leiothlypis ruficapilla

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Setophaga petechia

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Myioborus pictus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Setophaga aestiva

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
2	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~40%
3	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~40%
4	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
5	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
6	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
7	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
8	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
9	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
10	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
11	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
12	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
13	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
14	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
15	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
16	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
17	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
18	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
19	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
20	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
21	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
22	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
23	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
24	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
25	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	<5%
26	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
27	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
28	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
29	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
30	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
31	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
32	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
33	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
34	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
35	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
36	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
37	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
38	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
39	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
40	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
41	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
42	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
43	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
44	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
45	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
46	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	Insufficient data
47	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
48	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
49	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
50	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	Insufficient data
51	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	Insufficient data
52	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
53	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
54	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
55	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
56	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
57	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data

← Back to Big Bend National Park

Prothonotary Warbler

About the Prothonotary Warbler

Recent sightings of Prothonotary Warbler in Big Bend National Park

Closest Relatives at Big Bend National Park

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Audubon's Warbler

Yellow-breasted Chat

Common Yellowthroat

Colima Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Painted Redstart

Northern Yellow Warbler

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found