The Common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) is a small New World warbler. In the U.S. Midwest, it is also known as the yellow bandit. There are 13 races of this bird and they all breed in North America.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Serial monogamySerial monogamy is a mating system in which a pair bonds only for one breeding season.
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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Partial MigrantPartial migration is when within a migratory species or even within a single population, some individuals migrate while others do not.
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withCommon yellowthroats have olive backs, wings and tails, yellow throats and chests, and white bellies. Adult males have black face masks that stretch from the sides of the neck across the eyes and forehead, which are bordered above with white or gray. Females are similar in appearance, but have paler underparts and lack the black mask. Immature birds are similar in appearance to the adult female. First-year males have a faint black mask which darkens completely by spring.
Common yellowthroats breed in North America, ranging from southern Canada to central Mexico. Northern populations winter in the southern parts of the breeding range, Central America and the West Indies. Southern birds are largely resident. Common yellowthroats inhabit marshes and other wet areas with dense low vegetation, and may also be found in other areas with a dense shrub.
Common yellowthroats are generally solitary but may forage in mixed-species flocks. They are active during the day and spend most of their time hiding in dense thickets while searching for small insects and spiders. At times they may also catch their prey in midair. Common yellowthroats communicate with a soft 'jip' call and their song is a loud 'twichety twichety twichety twich'.
Common yellowthroats are carnivores (insectivores). They feed mainly on insects but also spiders and sometimes seeds.
Common yellowthroats are polygynous meaning that one male breeds with more than one female. However, some birds may form serially monogamous pairs that remain together only for one season. Common yellowthroats nest on or near the ground in the grass, reeds, weeds, or low scrubs. Their nest is a bulky cup made with grasses, bark, sedges, rootlets, and even hair. The female constructs the nest in which she then lays 3-5 eggs. Incubation lasts about 12 days and is done by the female only, but both parents feed the young. The chicks hatch helpless and will stay in the nest for about 8-10 days.
Common yellowthroats are very common throughout their range. However, populations have declined in many regions due to habitat loss and climate change. These birds are also frequent victims of collisions with windows and communication towers, especially during their nocturnal migrations.
According to the All About Birds resource the total breeding population size of the Common yellowthroats is 87 million birds. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.