Yellow Warbler Similar Species Comparison
Similar Species
Wilson's Warbler
Female/immature
Female and immature Wilson's Warblers are smaller than Yellow Warblers with a yellow eyebrow and darker cap.
© Shawn Billerman | Macaulay LibraryWyoming, September 10, 2013Similar Species
Wilson's Warbler
Adult male
Smaller than Yellow Warbler. Males have a dark cap that Yellow Warblers do not have.
© Sue Orwig | Macaulay LibraryTexas, January 04, 2017Similar Species
Hooded Warbler
Female/immature
Female and immature Hooded Warblers have a yellow cheek patch offset by a faintly darker hood; Yellow Warblers have a uniform yellow head and face.
© Jay McGowan | Macaulay LibraryNew York, September 17, 2011Similar Species
Orange-crowned Warbler
Adult
Orange-crowned Warblers have a thinner bill and are duller yellow-olive overall than Yellow Warblers.
© Caroline Lambert | Macaulay LibraryAlberta, April 30, 2017Similar Species
Palm Warbler
Breeding adult (Yellow)
Larger than Yellow Warbler with a rusty cap and streaks on the sides.
© Margaret Viens | Macaulay LibraryMaine, April 16, 2013Similar Species
Palm Warbler
Nonbreeding/immature (Western)
Larger than Yellow Warblers. Nonbreeding/immature Palm Warblers are browner overall with a pale eyebrow.
© Luke Seitz | Macaulay LibraryMaine, December 28, 2016Similar Species
Common Yellowthroat
Female
Female Common Yellowthroats are browner than female/immature Yellow Warblers and do not have yellow bellies.
© Davey Walters | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, August 18, 2016Similar Species
American Goldfinch
Breeding male
American Goldfinches have a shorter, thicker bill and darker wings than Yellow Warblers.
© Yves Dugré | Macaulay LibraryQuebec, March 21, 2017Similar Species
American Goldfinch
Nonbreeding male
American Goldfinches have a shorter, thicker bill and darker wings than Yellow Warblers.
© Matt Davis | Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 08, 2016Main Species
Yellow Warbler
Adult male (Northern)
Small, round-headed warbler with a beady black eye and stout bill. Adult males are bright yellow overall with a yellow-green back and chestnut streaks on the breast.
© Brad Imhoff | Macaulay LibraryOhio, May 13, 2020Adult female (Northern)
Small, round-headed warbler with a beady black eye and stout bill. Females are yellow overall with a yellow-green back and mostly unstreaked yellow underparts.
© Ryan Schain | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, May 20, 2018Adult male (Northern)
Hops between branches to forage for insects on leaf surfaces: typical warbler behavior.
© Matthew D. Medler | Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 03, 2015Not all videos have sound
Adult male (Mangrove)
Yellow (Mangrove) Warblers along the coast of Mexico, Central America, and northern South America have chestnut heads and chestnut streaking on the breast.
© Luke Seitz | Macaulay LibraryPuntarenas, March 19, 2017Female/immature (Mangrove)
© Steven Mlodinow | Macaulay LibraryBaja California Sur, December 16, 2011Female/immature (Northern)
Commonly occupies riparian thickets or young forests during migration and in the breeding season.
© Timothy Barksdale | Macaulay LibraryTexas, April 27, 1997Not all videos have sound
Adult male (Golden)
Most Yellow (Golden) Warblers have a chestnut-capped and are residents in mangroves in the West Indies.
© Steven Mlodinow | Macaulay LibraryAruba, April 09, 2013Immature (Northern)
Immatures are paler yellow overall, although some can be almost entirely grayish.
© Michael O'Brien | Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, September 04, 2016Adult female (Northern) at nest
Builds a deep cup nest constructed with grasses, strips of bark, and spider webs.
© Brad Walker | Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 15, 2015Not all videos have sound
Immature (Northern)
Immatures vary from pale yellow to brownish to grayish. Note large beady black eye and stout bill.
© Zak Pohlen | Macaulay LibraryAlaska, August 21, 2016Adult male (Northern)
Small, round-headed warbler with a beady black eye and stout bill. Adult males are bright yellow overall with a yellow-green back and chestnut streaks on the breast.
© Keenan Yakola | Macaulay LibraryMaine, May 10, 2015Adult female (Northern) at nest
Only female Yellow Warblers incubate the eggs, while males continuously forage to feed their mates.
© Luke Eberhart-Phillips | Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 14, 2012Not all videos have sound
Adult male (Northern)
Breeds in shrubby thickets and woods, particularly along watercourses and in wetlands.
© Simon Boivin | Macaulay LibraryQuebec, May 27, 2017Adult male (Northern)
Distinctive entirely yellow warbler. Often found foraging in shrubby understories.
© Jay McGowan | Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 21, 2017Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
Compare with Similar Species
Click on an image to compare
Species in This Family
New World Warblers(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Parulidae)
Need Bird ID Help? Try Merlin
Don't miss a thing! Join our email list
The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds,
birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.