There are several kinds of birds that have yellow on their chests. To identify a specific bird, it is helpful to consider additional physical characteristics such as size, beak shape, coloration, habitat, and behavior. Taking note of the shade and location of the yellow plumage can also aid identification. In this article, we will explore some of the more common North American bird species that feature yellow on their chests and provide tips for differentiating between them.
Warblers
Many wood warbler species display yellow plumage on their undersides. These small, insect-eating songbirds breed in forests across North America and winter in Central and South America. Here are some warblers to look for:
- Common yellowthroat – Olive back with yellow throat and breast. Black mask on face. Skulks low in vegetation.
- American redstart – Black above with large orange patches on wings/tail. Yellow belly and breast. Fans tail in flight.
- Yellow warbler – Bright yellow overall with reddish streaks on breast. Tail distinctly yellow.
- Chestnut-sided warbler – White underside with chestnut stripes on sides. Yellow crown.
- Yellow-rumped warbler – White throat and belly with bright yellow rump and sides. Streaked black back.
- Prairie warbler – Olive back with black streaks. Yellow underparts with black streaking on sides.
Warblers forage actively in bushes and low branches. Look for flickering tails and movement as they search for insects. Listen for high-pitched buzzy songs.
Vireos
Like warblers, vireos are small insectivorous songbirds commonly found in woodlands. However, vireos have thicker beaks and mellower songs. Here are some vireos with yellow undersides:
- Yellow-throated vireo – Gray head, white spectacles, yellow throat/breast. Blue-green back.
- Blue-headed vireo – Blue-gray head and back. White throat, yellow-olive breast and flanks.
- Philadelphia vireo – Yellow-olive overall with two faint wingbars. Yellow breast and stripe over eye.
- Red-eyed vireo – Gray above, white below with greenish flanks. Black stripe through red eye.
Vireos tend to forage deliberately in canopy foliage for caterpillars. Listen for repetitive, monotonous songs.
New World Sparrows
The Emberizidae family includes many sparrow species with yellow on their breasts. Sparrows are plump-bodied with conical bills for eating seeds. Here are some examples:
- Chipping sparrow – Gray back with distinctive rufous crown. Black eyeline. Pale below with dark line through eye.
- Field sparrow – Brown back with rufous shoulders. Gray below with dark breast spots and pink bill.
- Grasshopper sparrow – Drab brown and gray. Yellow at front of breast and bend of wing.
- Dark-eyed junco – Gray head and back. White belly and yellow-buff breast. Best known junco type.
Look for sparrows hopping along the ground or flushing out of grassy areas. Listen for simple, repetitive songs and calls.
Yellow-Shafted Northern Flicker
The yellow-shafted northern flicker is a woodpecker species. It has a brown barred back, black bib, brown spotted breast, and bright yellow under tail and wings. Look for yellow feathers under the wings when in flight. The flicker frequents open woods and edges, probing the ground for ants. Both males and females have a black crescent across the chest. Look for the flicker’s distinctive tail-wagging behavior. Listen for loud calls.
Meadowlarks
Two meadowlark species have yellow breasts – the eastern meadowlark and western meadowlark. Meadowlarks have long, pointed bills and a black “V” shaped bib across the yellow front. Eastern meadowlarks have orange flanks while western meadowlarks have brighter yellow undersides. Meadowlarks can be found in grasslands across North America. Listen for their fluty, lilting songs delivered from fenceposts and low perches.
Yellow-Breasted Chat
The yellow-breasted chat is a distinctly shaped songbird with a yellow belly, olive back, white spectacles, and long tail. Chats are skulky birds of shrublands in eastern North America. They are known for their bizarre collection of vocalizations including squawks, whistles, and chattering. Look and listen for them in dense thickets, especially along streams.
Tanagers
Some tanager species also feature yellow underparts:
- Summer tanager – All red body except for yellow on wings and tail.
- Scarlet tanager – Black wings and tail contrast with red body. Yellow lower mandible.
- Western tanager – Red head, bright yellow body and black back/wings.
Tanagers are brightly colored, frugivorous birds that eat fruit and insects. They breed in mature forests before migrating south for winter. Listen for buzzy, unmusical calls.
Identifying the Yellow Bird You See
When trying to identify a bird with yellow plumage on its underside, consider the following:
- Size – Is it a small songbird or a larger bird like a meadowlark?
- Bill shape – Conical for seed-eating or pointed for insect-eating?
- Exact location of yellow – Throat, breast, belly, undertail?
- Other markings – Eye rings, wing bars, tail color, bibs, streaking?
- Behavior – Skulking, hopping, tail-wagging? Where is it perched?
- Habitat – Open fields, dense thickets, forest canopy?
- Song/call – Simple chips? Buzzes? Whistles? Musical trills?
Paying attention to multiple characteristics will help pin down the species. It also helps to have a field guide handy for reference. Apps like Merlin Bird ID can help suggest possibilities based on location, size, and colors selected. With practice, birdwatchers get better at recognizing and distinguishing species in the field.
Conclusion
There are many birds that exhibit yellow plumage on their underparts, including various warblers, vireos, sparrows, yellow-shafted northern flickers, meadowlarks, yellow-breasted chats, and tanagers. Carefully noting field marks like size and shape, exact yellow coloration pattern, other distinctive markings, behavior, song, and habitat preferences helps distinguish between similar looking species. Resources like field guides and identification apps make the process easier for novice birdwatchers. With experience, birders develop stronger visual memory and recognition skills to identify yellow-breasted birds and all other species more confidently.
