Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Common Yellowthroat
Geothlypis trichas
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) is a member of the Parulidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 9.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Parulidae New World Warblers
- Genus Geothlypis
- Species trichas
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Parulidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Male vs female
Male has a broad black mask bordered above with a whitish/gray line, olive-green upperparts, and bright yellow underparts (throat and breast); the female lacks the black mask, being plain olive-brown above with yellow brightening the throat and undertail.
Juvenile appearance
Immature males show a partial or veiled black mask; immature females are plain pale brownish like adult females, with yellow mostly on the undertail coverts.
Similar birds
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Near Threatened
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Common Yellowthroat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Common Yellowthroat is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) belongs to the Parulidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA widespread.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.5 g, with a wing length of about 5.5 cm and a tail of around 4.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 12.8 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Common Yellowthroat?
The Common Yellowthroat is a very small bird that weighs around 9.5 g.
Where does the Common Yellowthroat live?
The Common Yellowthroat is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA widespread, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Common Yellowthroat belong to?
The Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) belongs to the Parulidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Common Yellowthroat eat?
The Common Yellowthroat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Common Yellowthroat migrate?
The Common Yellowthroat is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Common Yellowthroat endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Common Yellowthroat make?
1 real field recording of the Common Yellowthroat — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Common Yellowthroat's range?
The Common Yellowthroat has a mapped global range of about 12.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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