Northern Yellow Warbler Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Northern Yellow Warblers are small, evenly proportioned songbirds with medium-length tails and rounded heads. For a warbler, the straight, thin bill is relatively large.

  Relative Size

  About the same size as a Yellow-rumped Warbler; slightly larger than an American Goldfinch.

  sparrow-sized or smaller

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 4.7-5.1 in (12-13 cm)
    • Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz (9-11 g)
    • Wingspan: 6.3-7.9 in (16-20 cm)

  © Ryan Schain / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Northern Yellow Warblers are uniformly yellow birds. Males are a bright, egg-yolk yellow with reddish streaks on the underparts. Both sexes flash yellow patches in the tail. The face is unmarked, accentuating the large black eye.

• Behavior

  Look for Northern Yellow Warblers near the tops of tall shrubs and small trees. They forage restlessly, with quick hops along small branches and twigs to glean caterpillars and other insects. Males sing their sweet, whistled songs from high perches.
• Habitat

  Northern Yellow Warblers breed in shrubby thickets and woods, particularly along watercourses and in wetlands. Common trees include willows, alders, and cottonwoods across North America and up to about 9,000 feet in the West. In winter they occur in a variety of wooded habitats, including mangroves, deciduous forests, and tropical evergreen forests, as well as gardens, town plazas, second growth, brushy pastures, hedgerows, agricultural lands, and plantations.