Yellow-breasted Chat

The Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) is a distinctive North American songbird, notable for its size and vivid plumage. It is the sole representative of the family Icteriidae, having been reclassified from the New World warbler family due to its unique characteristics.

Identification Tips

This bird is easily identified by its olive upper parts, white belly, and the striking contrast of its bright-yellow throat and breast. It also sports large, white eye rings and blackish legs. With a body length of 17 to 19.1 cm and a wingspan of 23 to 27 cm, it is considerably larger than other warblers it was once grouped with.

Habitat

The Yellow-breasted Chat favors dense shrubbery and can often be found in overgrown rural areas, including abandoned farmlands where thick vegetation thrives.

Distribution

Breeding from the southern plains of Canada to central Mexico, this species migrates to Mexico and Central America during winter. Some individuals may overwinter in coastal areas farther north.

Behaviour

A shy and skulking bird, the Yellow-breasted Chat is more often heard than seen. It is known for its unusual and varied song, a mix of cackles, clucks, whistles, and hoots, and can mimic the calls of other birds.

Song & Calls

The chat's song is a peculiar blend of sounds, including harsh "chak" calls. During breeding season, they become more visible, singing from exposed locations and performing flights with their distinctive vocalizations.

Breeding

Nests are constructed in dense brush or hedgerows, usually not far from the ground. The female incubates a clutch of creamy-white eggs, speckled with reddish-brown. Both parents care for the young, which fledge in about 8 to 11 days. The species is known for being a vigilant guard against brood parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds.

Diet and Feeding

Omnivorous, the Yellow-breasted Chat feeds on insects and berries, gleaning its prey from dense vegetation. It has been observed eating a variety of insects, spiders, and occasionally gripping food with its feet before consumption.

Conservation Status

While the species is experiencing declines in eastern North America due to habitat loss and fragmentation, it is still widespread and classified as Least Concern globally. However, it is not immune to the threats of brood parasitism and habitat degradation.