The prothonotary warbler got its name from the Roman Catholic clerics who once dressed in saffron robes. The birds, however, get their brilliant color from a rich diet, consisting mostly of the larvae of aquatic macroinvertebrates, as well as the occasional grub or spider. If the birds are thriving, it means the waters around them are clean and clear. Nesting and breeding in flooded hardwood forests, they are an icon of southeastern swamps. However, only an estimated 20% of their historic habitat remains as we have paved over and drained the old growth wetlands to make way for development and golf courses. A sanctuary for these birds still remains, however, in the world's largest stand of virgin cypress and tupelo swamp in Harleyville, South Carolina at the Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Sanctuary. Beneath the ancient canopy, biologists are studying the birds through banding and satellite tagging techniques to better understand their migration and habitat needs. Surprisingly, this bird, about the size of a tennis ball, can fly thousands of miles over the gulf of Mexico for the winter and then when the spring comes, they return. And when they return, in many cases they fly right back to the same tree. In 2014, biologist Matt Johnson equipped one male prothonotary warbler with a satellite harness to track its migratory route to Central America. Naming the bird Long Shot, they hoped, but didn't expect its return from the perilous and arduous journey. To their surprise, Long Shot returned to the exact same perch in the spring of 2015 and claimed his territory once again in Beidler Forest.
