Geography/Habitat:

The Yellow-throated Warbler, (Setophaga dominica), was first described by Linnaeus in 1766 in the modern-day Dominican Republic and forms a superspecies with Graces, Yellow-rumped, Blackburnian, Black and White and Black throated Gray Warblers. Sources recognize 0-4 sub-species and the Bahama race will likely be separated out as a distinct species. A member of the family Parulidae, the Yellow-throated Warbler has been previously placed in the genus Mot-icilla and Dendroica but was moved to a new family due to close genetic ties to the Setophaga warblers.

The Yellow-throated Warbler breeds in the Central and Eastern US and Canada, wintering in the extreme Southern US, (Texas and Florida), the coastal areas of Mexico and Central Ameri-ca as far as Panama and throughout the West Indies. Preferred habitats are pine, sycamore, cypress, and oak woodlands especially where the ground is swampy. 

The Yellow-throated Warbler is an early migrant. Breeding season is from April through Au-gust and often rearing two or even 3 clutches of eggs. Four to five purple spotted pale green eggs are laid in bark and grass cup lined with down and grass, the cup often being set in Span-ish moss, at least ten feet from the ground. The eggs are incubated for 12-13 days by the female and fledge after a further 10 to 12 days. 

Yellow-throated Warblers are typically insectivorous but will eat some plant material. They forage at varying heights creeping around trunks and branches gleaning insects from the bark of the tree. In Winter, they are often found in loose flocks with various warblers. They will readily feed in gardens and feeders.

Identification:

A very distinctive bird with gray upperparts and wings with two white wingbars, a bright yel-low throat, a white eyebrow, under eye arc, and sides of throat bordering a black triangular face patch which runs down the side of the breast to white underparts streaked black. The undertail coverts are white.



Its song is a sweet descending set of musical notes ending in a flourish. Its call is sweet chip note.

Interesting Facts:

• Unlike most US warblers, it has a distinct resident population in the extreme Southern US.

• It’s behavior is similar to Black and White warblers, so care is needed to ensure iden-tity.

• A group of warblers is called a confusion, a bouquet, a fall, or a wrench.