The most common yellow birds with black wings found in Ohio are the yellow warbler, American goldfinch, and yellow-shafted flicker. These small songbirds breed in Ohio during the summer months before migrating south for the winter.
Yellow Warbler
The yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia) is one of the most widespread and common warblers found in Ohio. Males have bright yellow plumage on their bodies and wings, with olive-green upperparts and rusty streaks on their breasts. Females are duller in color, with a yellowish body and olive upperparts. Both sexes have thin pointed bills and long dark tails with white spots on the outer feathers.
Yellow warblers breed in wet thickets near streams, ponds, and marshes. They build open cup nests in shrubs and saplings, often near water. Their diet consists of insects and some fruit. They forage actively in trees and shrubs, sometimes hovering to pick insects off leaves. Their song is a fast sweet whistled “sweet sweet I’m so sweet.”
American Goldfinch
The American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is a small finch with bright yellow body plumage and black wings and tail. Males have a black cap and black wings with white markings. Females are duller with an olive back and lack the black cap. Goldfinches have conical bills adapted for eating seeds.
Goldfinches breed later than most other Ohio songbirds, nesting in mid to late summer when thistle and other seed-bearing plants have set their seeds. They build compact nests in shrubs and saplings, often close to fields. Goldfinch flight is bouncy and dipping. Their primary song is a series of musical warbles and twitters.
Yellow-shafted Flicker
The yellow-shafted flicker (Colaptes auratus) is Ohio’s most common woodpecker. It is a medium-sized bird about 12 inches long with brown barred upperparts, tan underparts, yellow underwings, and black spots on its breast. Males have a black or red malar stripe on the cheek. The yellow feathers under the wings and tail are visible when it is in flight.
Flickers prefer open woodlands, orchards, forest edges, parks, and suburban areas. They forage on the ground eating mainly ants and beetles. They also drill holes in trees looking for wood-boring insects. Flickers announce their territory by loud calling and drumming on trees or metal objects. Their wings make a loud whirring sound in flight.
Identification Tips
Here are some tips for identifying yellow birds with black wings in Ohio:
- Look at the bill shape – warblers have thin pointed bills for catching insects, goldfinches have conical seed-eating bills, and flickers have stout chisel-like bills.
- Notice the tail length – long tails indicate warblers, short tails point to goldfinches and flickers.
- Look for wingbars – yellow warblers lack wingbars, goldfinches have white wingbars, flickers have large white rumps.
- Notice flight pattern – warblers flit through branches, goldfinch flight is bouncy, flicker wings make a loud whirring sound.
- Listen for songs – warblers have high buzzy songs, goldfinches make musical twitters, flickers call loudly.
Paying attention to details like bill shape, wing markings, tail length, flight style, and vocalizations helps distinguish between yellow and black birds that may appear similar at first glance.
Habitats
Here are the typical breeding habitats for these yellow and black birds in Ohio:
Species | Habitat |
---|---|
Yellow warbler | Wet thickets near streams, ponds, marshes |
American goldfinch | Fields, meadows, roadsides with thistle & seed plants |
Yellow-shafted flicker | Open woodlands, forest edges, orchards, parks |
Look for yellow warblers around water. American goldfinches prefer open areas with seed-bearing plants. Yellow-shafted flickers inhabit partially open wooded areas and edge habitats.
Nesting
Here are details on the nesting habits of these species:
Species | Nest Placement | Nest Description |
---|---|---|
Yellow warbler | In shrubs and saplings, near water | Open cup nest, often near water |
American goldfinch | In shrubs and saplings, near fields | Compact cup nest in fork of branches |
Yellow-shafted flicker | Cavity nester, holes in trees | Lays eggs on bare floor of cavity |
Warblers and goldfinches build open cup nests in shrubs while flickers nest inside tree cavities.
Migration
These yellow and black birds breeding in Ohio migrate south in the winter:
Species | Migration Timing | Winter Range |
---|---|---|
Yellow warbler | August – October | Central & South America |
American goldfinch | October – November | Southern U.S. south to Mexico |
Yellow-shafted flicker | September – November | Southeastern U.S. south to Central America |
Yellow warblers are long distance migrants wintering in Central and South America. American goldfinches and yellow-shafted flickers winter farther north in the southern U.S. and parts of Mexico.
Conclusion
The most common yellow and black birds found breeding in Ohio include the yellow warbler, American goldfinch, and yellow-shafted flicker. They can be identified by differences in bill shape, wing markings, tail length, flight style, vocalizations, preferred habitat, and nesting habits. All three species migrate south for the winter. Observing the unique characteristics and behaviors of each species will help bird enthusiasts identify them more easily.