Species
Yellow warbler
Setophaga petechia
An all-yellow warbler with red streaks on the breast, a common migrant through Georgia's shrubs.
Photo Unknown photographer (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC0 1.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 10 to 18 cm long
- Weight
- About 9 to 11 g
- Habitat
- Shrubby wetlands, willows and woodland edges
- Diet
- Insects
- In Georgia
- A common migrant; a few nest in the north
- Voice
- A cheerful "sweet-sweet-sweet-I'm-so-sweet"
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Bright yellow all over; males with red streaks on the breast; yellow tail spots
- Told apart from
- American goldfinch, which has black wings and cap
- Where to look
- Shrubs near water during migration
Behaviour
Yellow warblers forage in shrubs and small trees. When cowbirds lay eggs in their nests, they often build a new floor over the eggs and start again.
Why they matter
Yellow warblers are one of the most widespread warblers in the Americas. Their habit of burying cowbird eggs is a remarkable defence against nest parasites.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Nest — A cup in a shrub
Eggs — Usually four or five
Incubation — About 11 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Lifespan — Several years
Living around people
- Shrubby wetlands support them.
Misconceptions
- A yellow bird is a canary. Wild yellow birds in Georgia are warblers or goldfinches.
Related species
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | In Central and South America | In the tropics | In the tropics | Migrants arriving | Nesting in the north | Nesting | Young fledging | Migrants | Migrants | Last migrants | In the tropics | In the tropics |
Where it lives
Recorded in 94 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
- Alabamapassing through
- Alaskabreeding
- Arizonabreeding
- Arkansasbreeding
- Californiabreeding
- Coloradobreeding
- Connecticutbreeding
- Delawarebreeding
- District of Columbiabreeding
- Floridapassing through
- Georgiabreeding
- Idahobreeding
- Illinoisbreeding
- Indianabreeding
- Iowabreeding
- Kansasbreeding
- Kentuckybreeding
- Louisianapassing through
- Mainebreeding
- Marylandbreeding
- Massachusettsbreeding
- Michiganbreeding
- Minnesotabreeding
- Mississippipassing through
- Missouribreeding
- Montanabreeding
- Nebraskabreeding
- Nevadabreeding
- New Hampshirebreeding
- New Jerseybreeding
- New Mexicobreeding
- New Yorkbreeding
- North Carolinabreeding
- North Dakotabreeding
- Ohiobreeding
- Oklahomabreeding
- Oregonbreeding
- Pennsylvaniabreeding
- Rhode Islandbreeding
- South Carolinapassing through
- South Dakotabreeding
- Tennesseebreeding
- Texaspassing through
- Utahbreeding
- Vermontbreeding
- Virginiabreeding
- Washingtonbreeding
- West Virginiabreeding
- Wisconsinbreeding
- Wyomingbreeding
Canada
Mexico
- Aguascalientesbreeding
- Baja Californiabreeding
- Baja California Sur
- Campechein winter
- Chiapasin winter
- Chihuahuapassing through
- Coahuilapassing through
- Colimain winter
- Durangobreeding
- Guanajuatobreeding
- Guerreroin winter
- Hidalgobreeding
- Jaliscoin winter
- Mexico City
- Michoacan
- Morelosin winter
- Nayaritin winter
- Nuevo Leonpassing through
- Oaxacain winter
- Pueblabreeding
- Queretarobreeding
- Quintana Roo
- San Luis Potosiin winter
- Sinaloa
- Sonora
- State of Mexico
- Tabascoin winter
- Tamaulipasin winter
- Tlaxcalabreeding
- Veracruzin winter
- Yucatan
If you found one
Answer a few questions and you will get a specific answer for what you are looking at.
I found an animal