Yellow-breasted Chat

Yellow-breasted Chat; adult; Ontario, June

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Yellow-breasted Chat; adult; Pt. Pelee National Park, Onatario; June

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

Despite its bright yellow chest, loud song, and conspicuous display flights, the Yellow-breasted Chat is easily overlooked because of its skulking nature and the denseness of its brushy haunts. Long considered the largest of the wood-warblers, genetic data suggest that it is not a warbler at all.

Description

• Medium-sized songbird.
• Bright yellow chest and throat.
• Olive-green back.
• White spectacles.
• White belly and undertail.
• Long tail.

• Size: 18 cm (7 in)
• Wingspan: 25 cm (10 in)
• Weight: 23-31 g (0.81-1.09 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar, but breeding female has gray, not black in front of eyes.

Sound

Song a collection of whistles, cackles, mews, catcalls, caw notes, chuckles, rattles, squawks, gurgles, and pops. Call a sharp "chuck."

Conservation Status

Declining in northeastern part of range, but increasing in western part. Through much of 20th century, range has been fairly stable, but peripheral, regional, and local populations have fluctuated, sometimes leading to dramatic declines and local extirpations.

Other Names

Paruline polyglotte (French)
Griton Pechiamarillo, Reinita Grande, Chipe Piquigrueso (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• In one study in central Kentucky, DNA fingerprinting revealed that 17% of 29 Yellow-breasted Chat nestlings were not sired by the male of the social pair and 33% of 9 broods contained at least 1 extra-pair nestling.

Sources used to construct this page:

Eckerle, K. P., and C. F. Thompson. 2001. Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens). In The Birds of North America, No. 575 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.