Common Yellowthroat

Geothlypis trichas

Order PASSERIFORMES - Family PARULIDAE

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

A skulking masked warbler of wet thickets, the Common Yellowthroat is far more frequently heard than seen. Its "wich-i-ty, wich-i-ty, wich-i-ty" can be heard from the Yukon to Newfoundland, and from southern Florida to southern Mexico.

Cool Facts

• Nine species of yellowthroats currently are recognized, most living in Mexico, all with black masks and yellow throats. Even more recognizable forms exist, with 12 subspecies of the Common Yellowthroat described north of Mexico. Just what the boundaries are between species and subspecies in this taxonomic complex remains to be completely worked out.

• As a small bird, the Common Yellowthroat is vulnerable to a large number of bird-eating predators, such as Merlins and Loggerhead Shrikes. Yellowthroats occasionally are captured and eaten by unusual predators too. Observations have been made of Chuck-will's-widow eating yellowthroats on migration, and one adult Common Yellowthroat was taken from the stomach of a largemouth bass.

• The Common Yellowthroat is apparently monogamous within a breeding season and only infrequently will males be seen with two mates in their territory. Females, however, show no fidelity to their mates and often attract other males with their calls. The true genetic mating system of this species remains to be worked out.

• One subspecies of Common Yellowthroat is resident in the Rio Grande river delta in Texas. It holds territories throughout the winter, and not only keeps other individuals out of its territory, but it also keeps migrant yellowthroats of other races completely out of its habitat.

Description

• Size: 11-13 cm (4-5 in)
• Wingspan: 15-19 cm (6-7 in)
• Weight: 9-10 g (0.32-0.35 ounces)

• Small songbird.
• Plain olive green back, wings, and tail.
• Yellow throat and upper chest.
• Male has distinctive black mask.

• Whitish belly.
• Yellow undertail coverts.
• Pink legs.

Sex Differences

Male with black mask, female dull.

Male

Back, wings and tail plain olive. Chin, throat, and upper chest bright yellow. Belly whitish. Dusky flanks. Bright yellow undertail coverts. Broad black mask extending from side of neck through the auricular area and from the eye to the forehead. Whitish to grayish line above black mask separating it from the olive crown.

Female

Female similar to male, but face olive and underparts paler. Indistinct eyering. May occasionally have faint black mask.

Immature

Immature resembles adult female. First year male with faint black mask, becoming fully adult-like by spring.

Similar Species

• Female resembles female Connecticut and Mourning warblers, except they have dusky or grayish hoods and entirely yellow underparts.

Sound

Song a musical "wich-i-ty, wich-i-ty, wich-i-ty." Call note a distinctive sharp "tchat."

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds in extreme southeastern Alaska and Yukon, across most of Canada to Newfoundland, southward along both coasts to southern Florida and California, to Gulf Coast and eastern Texas. Scattered and local breeding populations throughout western states. Also central to southern Mexico.

Winter Range

Winters in coastal states from North Carolina through Texas, in California, and along the Colorado River. Individuals found farther north in winter. Also winters throughout Mexico, Central America, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Greater Antilles.

Habitat

Common in thick vegetation from wetlands to prairies to pine forests. Frequently near water.

Food

Insects and spiders.

Behavior

Foraging

Gleans insects from foliage.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nest a loose bulky cup of grass and other plant materials, placed on or near the ground.

Egg Description

White or creamy white with dark spots, blotches, and scrawls.

Clutch Size

Usually 4 eggs. Range: 1-6.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless and with a few wisps of down.

Conservation Status

Not threatened or endangered, but is decreasing in many areas. Local nonmigratory populations in some areas face potential extinction from habitat loss and disturbance.

Other Names

Paruline masquée (French)
Mascarita común, Reinita gargan tiamarilla, Caretica, Cigüita enmascarada, Reinita pica tierra (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Guzy, M. J., and G. Ritchison. 1999. Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas). In The Birds of North America, No. 448 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.