Bird Yellow Warbler

Dendroica petechia

Identification Tips:

• Length: 4 inches
• Small, active, insect-eating bird
• Thin, pointed bill
• Mostly yellow plumage
• Upperparts greenish-yellow
• Greenish-yellow wings and tail with yellow feather edges
• Plain yellow face with yellow eye ring surrounding dark eye
• Yellowish legs

Adult male:

• Plumage golden yellow
• Rusty streaks on breast and flanks

Female and immature:

• Plain yellow plumage
• Streaks on breast absent or barely noticeable
• Some birds have pale gray wash to plumage (southwestern United States)

Similar species:

The male Yellow Warbler is easily recognized by its golden yellow plumage and rusty streaks on the breast. Females and immatures are similar to other mostly yellow warblers. Prothonotary Warblers have blue-gray, not yellowish wings and white undertail coverts. Wilson's and Hooded Warblers have a yellow supercilium and a more capped appearance. Blue-winged and Orange-crowned Warblers have dark eyelines.

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.