Geothlypis trichas
common yellowthroat

Geothlypis trichas nest in Alaska and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean across Canada and the United States. They also nest further south into Mexico. Their wintering range is from southern United States to northern South America and into the West Indies (Terres 1980; Versaware 2000).

Common Yellowthroats occupy non-forested areas low to the ground in briers, damp brushy places, weeds or grasses along country roads or agricultural environments. They are also found in cattails, bulrushes, sedges, and willows by streamsides, swamps, freshwater, and salt-water marshes. They occupy similar types of habitats for both their breeding and wintering locations (Fisher and Acorn 1998; Rogers 2000; Terres 1980).

Common Yellowthroats are wren-like wood warblers with upturned tails. They are 11 to 14 cm in length. The males are olive green above and have a year round black facial mask, bordered above by a blue-white band. They have a white belly with pale yellow chin, throat, breast, and undertail coverts. The beak is black and the legs are a pinkish color. The females look similar to the males but lack the black facial mask. Immature yellowthroats are dull brown with the males' face showing a drab facial mask (Rogers 2000; Terres 1980; Tufts 1986).

Common Yellowthroats exhibit jerky flight, and will dart around, especially when males are scolding an intruder in the area. They will fly about chattering chirps of chack!, and will hide in dense cover, then reappear to scold again. The yellowthroat song, witchity, witchity, witchity can be heard when it is in flight, high up in full view.

Yellowthroats are predominantly polygynous, and the territorial males will attract females with their song and then will follow these possible mates around to display for them. They will fan their tails, flick their wings, and present courtship flights.

The Common Yellowthroat is one of the three most frequent Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) victims. The parasitic cowbirds, found primarily in open country, target yellowthroat nests because they are in less-forested areas. Some host female yellowthroats will build new nest linings, thereby burying cowbird eggs (Ehrlich et al. 1988; Fisher and Acorn 1998; Terres 1980; Tufts 1986).

The yellowthroat is generally an insectivore. It gleans leaves of shrubbery, grasses or weeds for adult and larval insects such as grasshoppers, dragonflies, beetles, butterflies, and spiders. Seeds are sometimes eaten as well (Fisher and Acorn 1998; Terres 1980).

The Common Yellowthroat has no known negative impact on humans.

Yellowthroats are a pleasant addition to the variety of sights and sounds of wetlands.

They eat many different species of insects, some of which may pose as pests to humans.

There has been a general decline in neotropical migrants. However, the yellowthroat is a very common species of wood warbler and the only threats to its status may be the parasitism of cowbirds and the possibility of habitat loss from development of open areas or wetlands.

Both the appearance (especially of the males) and the vocalizations of the Common Yellowthroat are very striking. They are so characteristic of wetland habitats that they provide a distinguished presence to these areas (Fisher and Acorn 1998).