Yellow-throated Warbler Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Yellow-throated Warblers are small, well-proportioned birds with sharp and pointed bills. Compared to other warblers, they are a bit more heavy-bodied with a longer and thicker bill. From below, note the blunt, only slightly notched tail.

  Relative Size

  Slightly larger than a Brown Creeper, smaller than a Tufted Titmouse.

  sparrow-sized or smaller

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 5.1-5.5 in (13-14 cm)
    • Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz (9-11 g)
    • Wingspan: 8.3 in (21 cm)

  © Melissa James / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Yellow-throated Warblers are gray and white with a splash of yellow on the throat and black streaks down the sides. The yellow throat is offset by a black triangle below the eye and a white eyebrow. From above they have a gray back and 2 white wingbars. From below look for the white belly and white tail. Females and first-year males look similar, but are slightly paler.

• Behavior

  These warblers forage by hopping along tree branches, probing into cracks, crevices, bundles of pine needles, and Spanish moss much like a Brown Creeper or Black-and-White Warbler.
• Habitat

  Yellow-throated Warblers are found in pine forests, sycamore–bald cypress swamps, and woodlands near streams, especially areas with tall trees and an open understory.