Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas )

Special Segments Butterflies of North America Conifers of North America Eastern Birds List of N.A. Insects Home Eastern Wildflowers General Topics Natural History Ecology Family Environment Evolution Home Education Home Conservation Geophysics Paleontology Commercial Organizations

Purchase

A Field Guide to Warblers of North America (The Peterson Field Guide Series). by Kimball L. Garrett, Jon L. Dunn, Cindy House (Illustrator)

Warblers of Eastern North America

Recording by John R. Sauer, U.S. Geological Survey

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas )

Identification: 4.25 inches from tip of bill to tip of tail.

Breeding Male: The male is easily recognized by the distinctive black, triangular masks over the eye. The mask is edged with white above. The throat and breast are bright yellow. The back and crown of the head are olive-brown.

Female: The female lacks the black mask of the male. A broken white eye ring surrounds the eye with the hint of a white band over the eye. The throat is yellow, spreading down into the breast, but not as extensively as in the male. The legs are pink.

Fall Male and Female: Fall males and females are similar to their breeding counterparts.

Immature: Immatures are similar to the female. However older immature males begin to acquire the black mask of the adult male.

Similar Species: The male is always recognizable by the black, triangular mask. The combination of the yellow throat, white eye ring, and grayish breast should easily identify females and immatures.

Breeding Range (see map below): The Common Yellowthroat breeds throughout almost all of North America except for the far Northern Boreal Forest and the Arctic Tundra. The species does not occur in Alaska.

Overwintering Range: This species overwinters in the southern United States and southward into the American tropics.

Habitat: The Common Yellowthroat is mostly commonly found in thickets of brush and shrubs as in old fields. It is also found in grassy marshes.

Food: Insects with lesser amounts of seeds.

Behavior: The song is a loud and fast witchity-witchity-witchity- witchity-wit. The bird is very active and has been described as "wren-like" by some.

Reproduction: The nest is made from a loose mass of grass and bark lined with small roots and hair. The nest is placed on or near the ground, usually concealed in a clump or weeds or grass. The clutch consists of 3 to 5 white eggs with black and brown spots. Incubation takes about 12 days and the young are ready to leave the nest 10 days later.