VCU
Prothonotary Warbler Study at VCU
Cathy Viverette, research associate at VCU, with the assistance of a dedicated group of faculty, students and volunteers, is continuing the work of Charles Blem, Ph.D., ornithologist and ecologist from the VCU Department of Biology (retired) on the breeding biology of Prothonotary Warblers along the lower James River. Once known as the Golden Swamp Warbler due to its striking yellow color and preference for flooded forests, the Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) is a Neotropical migrant songbird that breeds throughout the eastern U.S. and southern Canada.
The Prothonotary Warbler is the only eastern warbler to nest in tree cavities. The availability of suitable nesting holes is the most critical habitat requirement for the breeding success of this species. Water is another critical habitat feature. Prothonotary Warblers prefer lowland forests near standing water for nesting sites. Their populations are declining over much of their historic breeding range in response to degradation and destruction of lowland forests and associated wetlands. In Virginia they are most commonly found nesting along tidal tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay.
This project, originally established in 1987 by VCU faculty members Charles and Leann Blem, was undertaken for two reasons: 1) the need for conservation measures to increase the breeding success of the local population and 2) to study reproductive activities and success over an extended period of time. More than 450 nest boxes have been installed in appropriate habitats in the tidal freshwater region of the James River, including in the vicinity of the Rice Center.
The boxes have been monitored annually during the warbler’s breeding period and provide invaluable information on the breeding biology of this species. It is likely the nest box program has increased the numbers of Prothonotary Warblers nesting in eastern Virginia. Over the life of the project more than 50 undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members and volunteers have participated in this ongoing research, which has produced more than 14 peer-reviewed publications and has received national scientific and media attention.
Prothonotary Warbler Study at VCU
Cathy Viverette, research associate at VCU, with the assistance of a dedicated group of faculty, students and volunteers, is continuing the work of Charles Blem, Ph.D., ornithologist and ecologist from the VCU Department of Biology (retired) on the breeding biology of Prothonotary Warblers along the lower James River. Once known as the Golden Swamp Warbler due to its striking yellow color and preference for flooded forests, the Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) is a Neotropical migrant songbird that breeds throughout the eastern U.S. and southern Canada.
The Prothonotary Warbler is the only eastern warbler to nest in tree cavities. The availability of suitable nesting holes is the most critical habitat requirement for the breeding success of this species. Water is another critical habitat feature. Prothonotary Warblers prefer lowland forests near standing water for nesting sites. Their populations are declining over much of their historic breeding range in response to degradation and destruction of lowland forests and associated wetlands. In Virginia they are most commonly found nesting along tidal tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay.
This project, originally established in 1987 by VCU faculty members Charles and Leann Blem, was undertaken for two reasons: 1) the need for conservation measures to increase the breeding success of the local population and 2) to study reproductive activities and success over an extended period of time. More than 450 nest boxes have been installed in appropriate habitats in the tidal freshwater region of the James River, including in the vicinity of the Rice Center.
The boxes have been monitored annually during the warbler’s breeding period and provide invaluable information on the breeding biology of this species. It is likely the nest box program has increased the numbers of Prothonotary Warblers nesting in eastern Virginia. Over the life of the project more than 50 undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members and volunteers have participated in this ongoing research, which has produced more than 14 peer-reviewed publications and has received national scientific and media attention.