A male common yellowthroat with a black mask and yellow throat on a twig. — Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Common Yellowthroat

Geothlypis trichas

A small marsh warbler whose males wear a black 'bandit' mask and sing 'witchety-witchety-witchety.'

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About the Common Yellowthroat

Common yellowthroats are 4.3 to 5.1 inches long and weigh about a third of an ounce. Males have bright yellow throats and a black mask; females are plainer but also have yellow throats. They spend summer across the United States and Canada in swamps, marshes and along streams with thick plants. They eat mostly insects, picking them from leaves or catching them in the air, and add fruit in winter.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Geothlypis trichas^[1]
Size: 4.3 to 5.1 inches long.^[1]
Weight: About a third of an ounce.^[1]
Lifespan: Usually 1 or 2 years; up to 11.^[1]
Diet: Mostly insects; more fruit in winter.^[1]
Habitat: Swamps, marshes, stream banks and thickets.^[1]
Where it lives: Summers across the United States and Canada.^[1]
Group life: Pairs when breeding; alone in winter. Active by day.^[1]
Babies: Creamy, spotted eggs, incubated for about two weeks.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).^[2]

Fun facts

In parts of the Midwest it's called the 'yellow bandit.'^[1]
Its song sounds like 'witchety-witchety-witchety.'^[1]
Yellowthroats migrate mostly at night.^[1]

Vocabulary

warbler: A small, often colorful songbird that eats insects.
marsh: A wet, grassy area that is often flooded.
territory: An area an animal claims and defends.
migrate: To travel from one region to another with the seasons.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Bird HouseSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Common yellowthroat.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/common-yellowthroat (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Geothlypis trichas (Common Yellowthroat).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22721836/137315462 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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