# Common Yellowthroat (*Geothlypis trichas*) The Common Yellowthroat is a small, cheerful bird with a bright yellow belly and a black mask. They love to hop around in bushes and wetlands, singing their sweet songs. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 66 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Common Yellowthroat](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Common_yellowthroat_in_PP_%2814155%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_yellowthroat_in_PP_%2814155%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Yellowthroat is a small, stocky warbler with olive-green upperparts and bright yellow underparts. Males are easily identified by their striking black 'highwayman's mask' across the eyes, outlined by a crisp white stripe above. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Parulidae - **Genus:** Geothlypis ## Interesting facts - Despite being common, they are surprisingly hard to spot, often staying hidden in dense plants! - Female yellowthroats are expert architects, building cup-shaped nests low to the ground! - Their song, 'witchity-witchity-witch', is one of North America's most recognizable bird calls! - These tiny birds play a giant role, eating thousands of pesky insects every single year! ## Special abilities - **Secretive Singer:** Common Yellowthroats can sing their unique 'witchity' song while hidden deep in dense shrubs, making them hard to spot. - **Insect Investigator:** Common Yellowthroats can quickly snatch hidden insects from dense foliage, using their keen eyesight and agility to find food. - **Long-Distance Navigator:** Common Yellowthroats can migrate thousands of kilometers twice a year, guided by Earth's magnetic field. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 11-13 cm - **Wingspan:** 15-19 cm - **Weight:** 0.008-0.015 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-8 years - **Speed:** 45 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 10-12 days - **Migration Distance:** 5000 km ## Diet & Feeding These little insectivores are bug-eating machines, helping control pests in their wetland homes! - **Primary Foods:** caterpillars, beetles, flies, spiders, aphids, grasshoppers - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Old World Swallowtail (*Papilio machaon*) — eats caterpillars from a variety of plants - **Eaten by:** [Sharp-shinned Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sharp-shinned-hawk) (*Accipiter striatus*) — hunted by small raptors while foraging or migrating - **Depends on:** Broadleaf Cattail (*Typha latifolia*) — uses dense wetland plants for nesting and cover - **Parasitizes:** [Brown-headed Cowbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-headed-cowbird) (*Molothrus ater*) — often has its nest taken over by another bird species ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance, and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Yellowthroat? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Common Yellowthroat? 11-13 cm ### What is Common Yellowthroat's wingspan? 15-19 cm ### How much does Common Yellowthroat weigh? 0.008-0.015 kg ### How long does Common Yellowthroat live? 2-8 years ### How fast can Common Yellowthroat move? 45 km/h ### What does Common Yellowthroat eat? These little insectivores are bug-eating machines, helping control pests in their wetland homes! ### Where is Common Yellowthroat usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Awbury Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/awbury-arboretum) — Pennsylvania, US · Botanical Garden - [Bellevue Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellevue-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Central Park West Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/central-park-west-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Chanticleer Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chanticleer-garden) — Pennsylvania, US · Botanical Garden - [Chenango Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chenango-canal) — New York, US · Historic Site - [Compo–Owenoke Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/compo-owenoke-historic-district) — US · Historic District [View all places to see Common Yellowthroat](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-yellowthroat) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Common Yellowthroat: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-yellowthroat)