Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroat

Geothlypis trichas

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Big Bend National Park

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

787 Verified sightings at Big Bend National Park From 2019 to 2026
39,116 In all 66 parks
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Yellowthroat

The common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) is a New World warbler. It is an abundant breeder in North America, ranging from southern Canada to central Mexico. In the northern parts of its range the birds are migratory, wintering in the southern parts of the breeding range, Central America and the West Indies. Southern forms are largely resident. Historically, it has also been known as the "yellow bandit", Maryland yellow-throat, and yellow-breasted warbler.

The common yellowthroat was formally described in 1766 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Turdus trichas. The specific epithet is from Ancient Greek τριχας/trikhas, τριχαδος/trikhados, a type of thrush. Linnaeus based his account on "The Maryland yellow-throat" that had been described and illustrated in 1758 by the English naturalist George Edwards in his book Gleanings of Natural History. Linnaeus specified the locality as North America but this was restricted to the state of Maryland by the American Ornithologists' Union in 1931. The common yellowthroat is now one of 15 species placed in the genus Geothlypis that was introduced in 1847... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call1:01

United States · 2026

© Greg Irving · XC1155447 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:17

United States · 2024

© Pat Goltz · XC1148221 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Flight call0:25

United States · 2025

© Paul Driver · XC1044627 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~60%
2 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
~50%
3 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~50%
4 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
5 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
6 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~40%
7 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
8 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
9 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
10 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~40%
11 Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park 🇯🇲 Jamaica
~30%
12 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
13 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~30%
14 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
15 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~30%
16 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
17 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
18 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
19 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
20 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
21 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
22 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
23 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
24 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
25 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
26 Los Haitises National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
~10%
27 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
28 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
29 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
30 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
31 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
32 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
33 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
34 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
35 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
~10%
36 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
37 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
38 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
~10%
39 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
40 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
41 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
42 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
43 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
44 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
45 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%
46 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
47 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
48 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
49 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
50 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
51 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
52 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
53 Padre Island National Seashore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
54 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
55 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
56 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
57 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
58 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
59 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
60 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
61 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
62 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
63 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
64 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
65 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
66 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
2 Tijuana 🇲🇽 México
~30%
3 León 🇲🇽 México
~20%
4 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
5 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
6 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
7 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
~20%
8 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
9 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
10 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
~20%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 National Zoological Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Yellowthroat in Big Bend National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Yellowthroat sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 787 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 48th most-seen of the 270 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Yellowthroat in Big Bend National Park?

March and December

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Yellowthroat in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against about 10% in January and June–September, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Common Yellowthroat?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Yellowthroat sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Where does the Common Yellowthroat sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Yellowthroat is recorded against all the birds logged in Big Bend National Park (787 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Big Bend National Park