Yellow-breasted Chat Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Chats are small songbirds but are larger and bulkier than warblers or vireos. They have a long tail, large head and a relatively thick, heavy bill.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Yellow Warbler; smaller than an American Robin.

  between sparrow and robin

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 7.1 in (18 cm)
    • Weight: 0.8-1.1 oz (23-31 g)
    • Wingspan: 9.8 in (25 cm)
• Color Pattern

  Chats are olive-green above with a bright yellow breast and bold face markings. The face is gray, with a white eyering that connects to the bill, forming “spectacles.” They also have a white malar or mustache stripe bordering the cheek. The lower belly is white.

• Behavior

  These are loud birds that tend to skulk in low, thick brush. In spring, males may sing from an exposed perch, but otherwise these birds typically stay well hidden.

• Habitat

  Yellow-breasted Chats live in thickets and other dense, regrowing areas such as bramble bushes, clearcuts, powerline corridors, and shrubs along streams.