Yellow-breasted Chat
Icteria virens
Warbler family (Parulidae)
A large warbler. Olive-green back, yellow throat and breast, white belly, thick bill. Face is grayish with a white "mustache" stripe and white "spectacles."
Habitat:
Dense shrub thickets
Nesting:
Nest is a bulky cup placed in a shrub or small tree. Eggs are white with brown marks. Clutch size 3 to 5 eggs.
Voice:
Song is an amazing assortment of whistles, rattles, squeaks, scolds, and mews. Harsh “cheh cheh cheh cheh” and higher “tu tu tu tu” notes are frequently incorporated into the song. All notes are clear, rich, and loud. The phrases of notes are often widely spaced, even hesitant sounding. The song cannot be confused with any other warbler although it may resemble song of a Brown Thrasher or Gray Catbird. Call is a grating “chack.”
Name Origin:
The genus name Icteria is from the Greek for “jaundice” or “yellow.” The species name virens is from the Latin for “green.”
In the Nature Park:
Neotropical migrant. More easily heard than seen.
Photos:
Yellow-breasted Chat
