The yellow breasted chat (Icteria virens) is a songbird species native to North America. It gets its name from the bright yellow breast and belly of the male bird. They are medium-sized songbirds measuring around 6.3 to 7.5 inches in length. Yellow breasted chats belong to the wood-warbler family Parulidae but are placed in their own genus Icteria due to their distinct characteristics. They have a stout bill and long tail compared to other warblers. Their habitat includes open woodlands, shrublands, overgrown fields, forest edges and hedgerows across the central and eastern United States. During summer they can be found breeding in thickets and shrubs near streams and wetlands. In winter they migrate to the southern United States, Mexico and parts of Central America. The yellow breasted chat is known for its loud, variable and complex songs. Their diet consists mainly of insects and berries. While they may look similar to other yellow warblers, the yellow breasted chat has a thicker bill, longer tail, distinct facial pattern and more extensive yellow underparts. They are classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN but populations have declined in some parts of their breeding range due to habitat loss.
Description
The yellow breasted chat has bright yellow underparts and an olive-gray back. The adult male has a black face mask that contrasts sharply with the bright yellow throat and breast. It has a thick black bill and black legs. The wings are gray with two white wing bars visible. The long graduated tail is olive-gray on top and black underneath with white outer tail feathers. Females are similar but duller in coloration with a less distinct facial mask. Juveniles have streaked underparts until their first fall molt. Yellow breasted chats exhibit slight variations in plumage color across their range. They measure 6.3 to 7.5 inches in length and weigh 0.4 to 0.6 ounces. Their wingspan is around 10 inches. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 2.7 to 3.2 inches, the tail is 3.1 to 3.9 inches, the bill is 0.5 to 0.6 inches and the tarsus is 0.8 to 1 inch.
Song and Calls
The yellow breasted chat is known for its loud, variable vocalizations. They have an extensive repertoire of songs, calls and imitations. Their songs vary geographically with as many as 40 different song types across their range. In general the songs consist of loud whistles, chattering, gurgling and pops. The common call is a loud “chat” sounding like “tchew”. Other calls include a high “seet”, raspy “brrt” and imitations of other birds. They are one of the mimic thrushes in their ability to mimic calls of other species. Males sing from high perches to establish territories and attract mates. Songs can be heard throughout the day from spring until early summer. Their elaborate songs and vocal mimicry behavior are among the most complex of any North American songbird.
Distribution and Habitat
The yellow breasted chat has a breeding range across central and eastern United States. Their breeding habitat extends from North Dakota and Minnesota east to Massachusetts and south to Texas and the Gulf Coast. They are found west to Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. The western subspecies known as the Yellow-breasted Chat auricollis has a more limited range in California and the southwest. During winter, they migrate to Florida, Mexico, Central America and into northern South America. Some southern populations may be year-round residents. Their preferred habitat for nesting includes thickets, woodland edges, dense shrubs and brushy areas often near streams or wetlands. They also occupy power line right-of-ways, fencerows and regenerating clearcuts.
Behavior and Ecology
Yellow breasted chats are very active birds, constantly climbing through vegetation and rarely still for long. They frequently cock and twitch their tails. They are often hidden by foliage and more frequently heard than seen. They dart out after passing insects or other prey. Males sing persistently through the breeding season from high exposed perches. Their songs carry long distances covering over a quarter mile. They are aggressive in defending nesting territories and will chase away potential predators. Yellow breasted chats migrate at night in loose flocks. Their wintering grounds often include mangroves, scrubby woodlands and forest edges. While sometimes solitary in winter, they may gather in loose flocks at prime habitat. Survival rates are not well studied but they have been known to live over 5 years in the wild based on banding records.
Food and Feeding
The diet of yellow breasted chats consists predominantly of insects and spiders. They capture insects like beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars, cicadas, flies, ants, wasps and bees in foliage or on the ground. They will occasionally eat small fruits and berries. Foraging takes place mostly lower in shrubs and on the ground. They rarely feed higher up in trees. They hunt actively by gleaning foliage and probing through leaves. Parents feed insects and spiders gathered from nearby vegetation to their nestlings. In winter they eat more berries to supplement insects. A study of their winter diet in Mexico found over 90% of food was animal matter including insects, snails and small lizards.
Breeding and Reproduction
Yellow breasted chats arrive on their breeding grounds in April and May. They are generally single-brooded, with one clutch per year. Males establish breeding territories covering about 1 acre which they aggressively defend. Their loud songs are used both for territorial defense and to attract mates. Nesting occurs May through July. Females build an open cup nest low in a dense shrub or tangle of vines 0.5 to 4 feet above ground. The nests are bulky and untidy, consisting of leaves, grasses, strips of bark and stems lined with finer grasses and hair. Between 3 to 5 eggs are laid. They are grayish or greenish-white with brown blotches. Incubation period is 11 to 12 days with the female incubating. Nestlings are fed by both parents and fledge at 8 to 11 days old. Pairs may re-nest if a first attempt fails. Juveniles reach independence 3 to 4 weeks after fledging. Males do not participate in rearing young after they leave the nest. Yellow breasted chats are often parasitized by brown-headed cowbirds, which lay eggs in their nests.
Population Status
Historically the yellow breasted chat was considered common and widespread in suitable habitat across their breeding range. However in recent decades populations have declined in some regions, particularly the Midwest and Northeast. Breeding Bird Survey data from 1966-2015 shows a survey wide population decline of 1.2% per year during that period. Causes for declines include habitat loss on both their breeding and wintering grounds. Their shrubland and young forest breeding habitat has diminished due to agriculture, development and fire suppression allowing forest maturation. Despite populations declines in parts of the range, the yellow breasted chat remains a common species with an extremely large estimated global breeding population of 14 million. They have a large range and are classified as a Species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Threats and Conservation
The predominant threat to yellow breasted chats is habitat loss and degradation. On their breeding grounds, clearing of shrublands and woodland edges for agriculture removes crucial nesting areas. Fire suppression in forests allows natural openings to grow over. Draining and development of wetlands eliminates habitat near waterways. Herbicide use reduces food sources. On their wintering grounds in Central America, deforestation for farms and development eliminates habitat. As neotropical migrants, yellow breasted chats face threats on their migration routes and wintering grounds. Conservation measures center on protection of shrublands and wetlands. Allowing clearcuts to naturally regenerate provides habitat. Setting controlled burns maintains open understory in forests. Restricting herbicide/pesticide use preserves food sources. Monitoring populations will be important for detecting future declines. Adequate breeding habitat across their range and preserving wintering habitat are key to conserving yellow breasted chats.
Fun Facts
Here are a few interesting and fun facts about the yellow breasted chat:
– The yellow breasted chat was once placed in the wood-warbler family Parulidae but now has its own genus Icteria due to its distinct morphology and behavior.
– Their genus name Icteria comes from the Greek word ikteros meaning jaundice, referring to their yellow coloring.
– Males have one of the most extensive repertoires of any North American songbird, with regional dialects across their range.
– They are talented mimics, able to imitate calls of other birds and sounds from their environment.
– John James Audubon depicted the yellow breasted chat in an odd stretched-neck posture which ornithologists now believe was merely an artistic embellishment.
– They often cock and twitch their tails rapidly, sometimes fanning them open. This behavior may serve to startle insects or flush them out.
– Pairs may raise two broods in a season, with the male caring for the first brood while the female starts a second nest.
– The oldest recorded yellow breasted chat was a male, and over 7 years, 2 months old when recaptured and rereleased during banding in 1991.