Yellow-throated Vireo

Overview

The Yellow-throated Vireo breeds in mature deciduous forest canopy across the eastern United States and adjacent Canada, wintering in Central America and northern South America. Its bright yellow throat and spectacles make it one of the more colorful vireos, though it tends to stay high in leafy canopy where it can be hard to spot.

Its combination of yellow throat, olive back, gray rump, and bold white wing bars is distinctive among eastern vireos.

Recognizing the Feathers

• Throat & breast feathers: bright yellow, unstreaked
• Face feathers: yellow spectacles formed by a yellow eyering and lores
• Back feathers: olive-green
• Rump feathers: gray, contrasting with the olive back
• Belly feathers: white
• Wing feathers: dark with two bold white wing bars

The gray rump contrasting with an olive-green back, combined with a solid bright yellow throat and bold white wing bars, is a useful combination for identifying this species from feathers alone.

Plumage

Sexes are alike, both showing a bright yellow throat and breast, yellow spectacles, olive-green back, gray rump, and white belly with bold white wing bars. Immatures are similar but slightly duller. There is no strong seasonal plumage change, with a single complete molt after breeding.

Habitat & Range

This vireo breeds in mature deciduous forest canopy across the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. It winters in Central America and the northern parts of South America, making it a medium- to long-distance migrant.

Behavior & Field Notes

Yellow-throated Vireos forage deliberately in the upper canopy of deciduous trees, gleaning insects from foliage in the slow, methodical style typical of vireos. Nests are cup-shaped and suspended from a forked branch, often fairly high in the canopy. Its song consists of slow, burry, whistled phrases with pauses between them.