Setophaga coronata
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The yellow-rumped warbler (Setophaga coronata) is a North American bird species that can be commonly observed all across the continent. Its extensive range connects both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the U.S. as well as Canada and Central America, with the population concentrated in the continent's northern reaches during the breeding season and migrating southwards to southern North and Central America in the winter. It generally prefers coniferous forests or mixed coniferous-deciduous forests as its breeding habitat, while during the winter it can be found inhabiting more open areas such as shrublands that offer food resources. The yellow-rumped warbler is primarily insectivorous, though the species eats fruit such as juniper berries, especially in winter.
The species combines four closely related forms: the eastern myrtle warbler (spp. coronata); its western counterpart, Audubon's warbler (spp. group auduboni); the northwest Mexican black-fronted warbler (spp. nigrifrons); and the Guatemalan Goldman's warbler (spp. goldmani). All subspecies of the yellow-rumped warbler are characterized by the yellow rump as its name implies, while intra-group and inter-group variations in appearance exist in spite of many similarities. The myrtle and Audubon's groups, as two major subspecies, are distinguished by noticeable features such as differing throat colorations. Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Tijuana | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 8 | Ciudad Juárez | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | León | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 10 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-rumped Warbler sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 622 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 58th most-seen of the 173 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and October
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-rumped Warbler in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to September, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-rumped Warbler sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
47th of 84
Of the 84 parks where we can rate Yellow-rumped Warbler sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 47th at about 10%. The best odds are in Jasper National Park (Canada, about 80%), Isle Royale National Park (United States, about 70%) and Glacier National Park (United States, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Setophaga
The closest relatives of the Yellow-rumped Warbler that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (genus Setophaga, Setophaga Warblers) are Northern Parula (about 40%), Black-throated Green Warbler (about 30%) and Hooded Warbler (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow-rumped Warbler is recorded against all the birds logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (622 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.
