Yellowthroats are small songbirds that get their name from the bright yellow feathers on their throats. There are several different species of birds in North America that are commonly called yellowthroats. In this article, we’ll take a look at the 5 most common yellowthroat species, some quick facts about each, and how to identify them.
Common Yellowthroat
The Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) is one of the most widespread yellowthroat species found across North America. Here are some quick facts about the Common Yellowthroat:
- Scientific name: Geothlypis trichas
- Length: 4.5-5 inches
- Wingspan: 7-9 inches
- Identifying features: Bright yellow throat/breast in males, olive back, white belly
- Habitat: Thick, shrubby vegetation near water
- Diet: Insects, spiders
- Range: Throughout United States and southern Canada
The Common Yellowthroat is aptly named for its most noticeable feature – the male’s bright yellow throat and breast feathers. Females lack the bright yellow plumage and are more of an olive brown color with a pale yellow tint on the throat and chest. These small energetic birds can be seen hopping quickly through dense shrubs and thickets, often around the edges of wetlands. The Common Yellowthroat has a very distinctive call that sounds like “witchety-witchety-witchety”.
Hooded Warbler
The Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) is another yellow-breasted songbird that frequents the eastern United States and southeastern Canada during spring and summer. Here’s an overview:
- Scientific name: Setophaga citrina
- Length: 4.5-5 inches
- Wingspan: 7.5-8.5 inches
- Identifying features: Bright yellow face and breast in males, olive-green back
- Habitat: Mature forests with dense undergrowth
- Diet: Insects, especially caterpillars
- Range: Eastern United States and southeastern Canada
The male Hooded Warbler is very striking with its golden yellow hood/face that contrasts sharply with its back and wings, which are olive green. Females are duller and lack the distinct hood, instead just having a yellowish wash on the throat and face. These birds forage for insects and spiders by gleaning vegetation in densely vegetated forest understories. The Hooded Warbler’s song is a lively rolling series of “weesa-weesa-weesa” notes.
Yellow-breasted Chat
The Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) is a distinctly unique yellowthroat species found in central and southern parts of North America. Here are some basics:
- Scientific name: Icteria virens
- Length: 7-8 inches
- Wingspan: 10-11 inches
- Identifying features: Bright yellow throat/breast in both sexes, bold white “spectacles” around eyes
- Habitat: Dense shrublands, woodland edges, thickets
- Diet: Insects, berries, seeds
- Range: Central and southern United States into Mexico
The Yellow-breasted Chat stands out thanks to its vivid yellow throat and breast, contrasting white face markings, and unusually large size compared to other yellowthroats. These chunky songbirds inhabit very dense shrubby areas where they forage near the ground for various insects and fruits. The Yellow-breasted Chat is highly vocal, with a random mix of squawks, whistles, and chatter – hence how it got its “chat” name.
Yellow Warbler
While not always considered a true “yellowthroat”, the Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) is a very common yellow-plumaged warbler species in North America. Here’s a quick overview:
- Scientific name: Setophaga petechia
- Length: 4.5-5 inches
- Wingspan: 7-8 inches
- Identifying features: Completely yellow males, yellow-washed females, reddish streaks in plumage
- Habitat: Thickets, mangroves, open woodlands near water
- Diet: Insects, sometimes berries
- Range: Throughout North America up into Canada
The Yellow Warbler can be easily identified by the male’s uniform bright yellow plumage during breeding season. Females are more dull yellow with olive striping. These warblers forage energetically in shrubs and trees for insects, and sometimes eat berries and flower nectar. Yellow Warblers have a very sweet whistled song of short phrases that sounds like “sweet-sweet-sweet-I’m-so-sweet”.
Prothonotary Warbler
The Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) is a stunning yellow and blue warbler found in the eastern United States. Here are some Prothonotary Warbler fast facts:
- Scientific name: Protonotaria citrea
- Length: 5-5.5 inches
- Wingspan: 7.5-8.5 inches
- Identifying features: Bright golden head/body, blue-gray wings, long pointed bill
- Habitat: Swamps, wooded wetlands
- Diet: Insects, snails, nectar
- Range: Southeastern United States up to southern Ohio and Maryland
The Prothonotary Warbler is often considered the most brilliantly colored of the yellowthroats. Males have stunning golden-yellow heads and underparts contrasting with blue-gray wings and tail. Females are more olive above and pale yellow below. These warblers nest in cavities in dead trees standing in or near water. They have loud ringing calls of “tsweet-tsweet-tsweet” that carry through swampy habitat.
Identifying Yellowthroats
When trying to identify a yellowthroat species, here are some tips:
- Note overall size – Yellow Warblers and Common Yellowthroats are small (4.5-5 inches), Yellow-breasted Chats are much larger (7-8 inches)
- Look at plumage colors – Prothonotary Warblers have blue-gray wing feathers, Yellow Warblers have reddish streaks
- Check for distinct facial markings – “Spectacles” around eyes on Yellow-breasted Chats, “hoods” on Hooded Warblers
- Listen for unique songs and calls – “Witchety” of Common Yellowthroat, “Weesa” of Hooded Warbler, mix of sounds from Yellow-breasted Chat
- Consider habitat – Prothonotary Warblers only found in wooded wetlands, Hooded Warblers in dense forest understories
With practice, birders can recognize the various yellowthroat species by sight and sound. Observing the bird’s behavior and habitat can provide additional clues for identification. It takes time to become familiar with their plumage differences and vocalizations, but the reward is getting to enjoy these beautiful and lively songbirds!
Range and Habitat
Yellowthroats are found across much of North America in spring and summer. Here is an overview of the range and preferred breeding habitat for the main yellowthroat species:
Species | Range | Habitat |
---|---|---|
Common Yellowthroat | Throughout United States and southern Canada | Thick shrubby vegetation near water |
Hooded Warbler | Eastern United States and southeastern Canada | Mature forests with dense undergrowth |
Yellow-breasted Chat | Central and southern United States into Mexico | Dense shrublands, woodland edges |
Yellow Warbler | Throughout North America up into Canada | Thickets, mangroves, open woodlands near water |
Prothonotary Warbler | Southeastern United States up to southern Ohio and Maryland | Swamps, wooded wetlands |
As shown, the Common Yellowthroat has the largest breeding range of these species, extending across most of the United States and into Canada. Meanwhile, the Prothonotary Warbler has a much more restricted range centered on the southeastern parts of the country.
In terms of habitat preferences, the Common Yellowthroat and Yellow Warbler are somewhat generalists, found in a variety of shrubby areas with thickets and small trees. On the other hand, the Hooded Warbler and Prothonotary Warbler are specialists, requiring more specific forested wetland habitats. The Yellow-breasted Chat occupies dense tangled thickets, often in drier areas than the other species.
Migration
All of these yellowthroat species migrate between breeding areas in the United States and Canada to spend winters in the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and parts of the Caribbean. Here are some details on their migration timing:
- Spring migration: March to May depending on species and location
- Fall migration: August to November depending on species and location
- Yellow-breasted Chats are among the last to migrate south in fall, and the first to head north in spring
- Prothonotary Warblers migrate later in spring than other warblers since they winter in southern U.S.
- Males tend to arrive at breeding grounds first and depart later in fall after females and young birds
The exact timing and routes taken during migration depend on each species and population. But in general, they migrate at night and can cover 100-200 miles in a single evening of flying.
Habitat loss and fragmentation along their migration routes can negatively impact their populations.
Diet and Foraging
While their diets vary somewhat by species, yellowthroats are primarily insectivorous birds that actively forage among dense foliage for small invertebrate prey. Here are some details on their diets:
- Caterpillars and other larval insects are an important food source for breeding birds feeding nestlings.
- Adults also eat flies, mosquitoes, beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, ants, and similar prey.
- Some species like Common Yellowthroat are more specialized insect eaters, while others like Yellow-breasted Chat also eat berries, seeds, and nectar when available.
- The warbler species glean prey from leaves in trees, while chats forage closer to the ground in low brush.
- Long pointed bills are adapted for picking insects from leaves and crevices.
Yellowthroats employ various foraging methods to find food, including gleaning foliage, probing into crevices, hover gleaning for flushed insects, and sometimes flycatching passing aerial insects. They are very active foragers, constantly on the move through vegetation as they hunt for their next meal.
Breeding and Nesting
The breeding season for most yellowthroat species runs from May through July across North America. Here are some details on their breeding and nesting behaviors:
- Males establish breeding territories and sing to attract females.
- Nests are cup-shaped and built out of grasses, leaves, bark strips and other plant fibers.
- Females build the nests, typically on or near the ground hidden in dense vegetation.
- Clutch size ranges from 3-5 eggs for most species.
- Incubation lasts 11-14 days; young leave nest at 9-12 days old.
- Some species like Prothonotary Warbler nest in tree cavities rather than open nests.
- Both parents feed nestlings, often with caterpillars and other soft-bodied insects.
- Some birds raise 2 broods per season, moving south earlier than 1-brood nesters.
Interestingly, male Prothonotary Warblers begin selecting nest sites before females even arrive at the breeding grounds. They cannot weave nests themselves, so they essentially start gathering nesting materials and hope to attract a female to finish the construction and utilize that nest. It’s one of the unique breeding behaviors found across this diverse group of yellow-plumaged songbirds.
Conservation Status
Most yellowthroat species have stable or growing populations, though a few are declining. Here is a brief overview of their conservation status:
- Common Yellowthroat – Least concern, still widespread and increasing in numbers
- Hooded Warbler – Near threatened, declining due to loss of mature forest habitat
- Yellow-breasted Chat – Least concern but loss of scrub habitat a threat
- Yellow Warbler – Least concern, abundant across wide range
- Prothonotary Warbler – Vulnerable status, habitat loss in southeastern U.S. reducing populations
The bright outlook for species like Common Yellowthroat reflects their ability to adapt to human changes to the landscape. However, forest specialists like Hooded Warbler have struggled with deforestation and development. Continued habitat loss across the Americas remains the largest threat. Climate change may also impact future populations.
Fun Facts
Here are a few fun and interesting facts about North America’s yellowthroat species:
- The Common Yellowthroat’s “witchity” song can sound like it’s saying “which is it” or “witchitty witchity.”
- Male Common Yellowthroats perform a fun zig-zagging flight display to attract females.
- The Hooded Warbler got its name because the male’s yellow face with black border resembles a hood.
- Some tropical Yellow Warbler populations are yellow-and-chestnut colored instead of yellow.
- Yellow-breasted Chats have an unusually wide range of vocalizations for songbirds.
- Prothonotary Warbler males stuff nest cavities with moss to appeal to females.
- Yellowthroat species got their collective name from their all-yellow throats in breeding plumage.
Conclusion
The variety of yellowthroats found across North America showcase the diversity of the wood-warbler family. Their lovely yellow plumages provide a burst of color and vitality to their spring and summer habitats. Whether flitting through forest understories, creeping in dense thickets, or belting out their unique songs, yellowthroats are a hallmark of the changing seasons. Protecting their habitats from excessive development and degradation will help ensure Yellow Warblers keep “sweeting” away, Common Yellowthroats continue “witching,” and the other species persist far into the future.