Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 7.1 in
18 cm - Wingspan
- 9.8 in
25 cm - Weight
- 0.8–1.1 oz
23–31 g
Other Names
- Paruline polyglotte (French)
- Griton Pechiamarillo, Reinita Grande, Chipe Piquigrueso (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- In one study in central Kentucky, DNA fingerprinting revealed that 17% of 29 Yellow-breasted Chat nestlings were not sired by the male of the social pair and 33% of 9 broods contained at least 1 extra-pair nestling.
Habitat
Scrub
Dense second-growth, riparian thickets, and brush.
Food
Insects
Small invertebrates, fruits.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–6 eggs
- Egg Description
- White or off-white covered in dark speckles.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless.
Nest Description
Bulky cup of grasses, leaves, strips of bark, stems of weeds; lined with finer grasses, wiry plant stems, pine needles, and sometimes roots and hair. Placed in dense shrubs.
Nest Placement
Shrub
Behavior
Foliage Gleaner
Gleans prey from foliage of low, dense shrubs, or from ground. Holds food with foot.
Conservation
Least Concern
Declining in northeastern part of range, but increasing in western part. Through much of 20th century, range has been fairly stable, but peripheral, regional, and local populations have fluctuated, sometimes leading to dramatic declines and local extirpations.
Credits
- Eckerle, K. P., and C. F. Thompson. 2001. Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens). In The Birds of North America, No. 575 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.