{"id":16947,"date":"2022-07-01T13:17:29","date_gmt":"2022-07-01T17:17:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=16947"},"modified":"2022-07-01T13:17:33","modified_gmt":"2022-07-01T17:17:33","slug":"follow-that-yellow-bird","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/follow-that-yellow-bird\/","title":{"rendered":"Follow That Yellow Bird"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A flash of yellow flies by, and with only a quick glance, it\u2019s hard to tell what it is. Was it a warbler or a finch? With so many brightly colored birds, it\u2019s easy to get your species mixed up. With a few tips, you can tell one yellow bird from another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American Goldfinch <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
American Goldfinch \u00a9 Jason Gilbody<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of the most common yellow birds you will probably see is the American Goldfinch. Breeding plumaged males are yellow, lined with black wings, tail, and cap. In the colder months, they match their female counterparts with a brown plumage. Goldfinches are frequent flyers to birdfeeders, so keep an eye out for their golden feathers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a couple of ways to identify a goldfinch. The first is to look at how they fly. Goldfinches have a recognizable “bouncing” style of flight because of their tendency to hold their wings tight against their body for a second or two between bouts of flapping. You\u2019ll also notice that they are very small, and like many other finches, have a short conical-shaped beak. Listen to the song of the American Goldfinch with a distinctive four-note flight call given as they bounce through the air: po-ta-to chip, po-ta-to chip<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scarlet Tanager <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Scarlet Tanager \u00a9 Kathy Diamontopoulos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You may be wondering why we are including a blazing red bird on our yellow bird list, but that\u2019s because females are actually a dull yellow. Non-breeding males are a similar shade to the females, but they have black wings instead of olive. Like the goldfinch, the tanagers have wings darker than their body, but they are bigger and bulkier than finches.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scarlet Tanagers reside high in the canopy of oak forests. Although their vibrant feathers stick out against the green of the trees, you are much more likely to hear them. The male\u2019s song is a sing-song similar to an American Robin, but with a burry quality. Both males and females have a distinct chick-burr<\/em> call. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common Yellowthroat <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Common Yellowthroat \u00a9 Kathy Porter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just like their name suggests, the Common Yellowthroat has a dazzling yellow neck and breast with an olive backside. Like all warblers, it has a thin, pointed bill. If you think you see one, try to find the distinctive black mask that males have, earning them the nickname the yellow bandit. They typically stick low to the ground in fields and marshes, looking for insects to snack on.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yellowthroats are one of the only warblers to nest in an open marsh from the east coast to the west coast. As you enjoy the summer weather, you\u2019ll know a male is close by when you hear a low witchety-witchety-witchety<\/em> song.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prairie Warbler <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Prairie Warbler \u00a9 Amy Severino<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Although Massachusetts isn\u2019t known for its prairies, the beautiful Prairie Warbler does breed here. Shrubbery clearings in Cape Cod, southeastern Massachusetts, and even the powerline across the state, make a perfect home for these golden warblers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Males are an outstanding yellow with black streaks on their flanks. Look for a dark black stripe on their eyes and a semi-circle directly below. Prairie Warblers have a series of buzzy rising calls that echo through the shrubs.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start Practicing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The yellow doesn\u2019t stop there! Other birds like Pine Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Yellow Warblers come in all shades of gold and yellow. Take a look at our Breeding Bird Atlas 2<\/a> to start learning more species, and put your knowledge into practice during one of our birding programs<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A flash of yellow flies by, and with only a quick glance, it\u2019s hard to tell what it is. Was it a warbler or a finch? With so many brightly colored birds, it\u2019s easy to get your species mixed up. With a few tips, you can tell one yellow bird from another. American Goldfinch  One […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":16952,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[386],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-birds-birding"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/06\/5962Jason_Gilbody30075-750x500-479fa047-f7bd-4de0-9136-6a6dd568b12a.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-4pl","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14626,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-go-for-the-goldfinch\/","url_meta":{"origin":16947,"position":0},"title":"Take 5: Go For the Goldfinch","author":"Ryan D.","date":"August 31, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Out of the corner of your eye, a sunny, cheerful flash of bright yellow alights upon your bird feeder and almost certainly means one thing: the American Goldfinch! Almost exclusively seed-eaters, the so-called \"wild canaries\" of the Americas are late nesters relative to most of our breeding birds here in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Goldfinch \u00a9 Mark Uchneat","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/5323Mark_Uchneat26130.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/5323Mark_Uchneat26130.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/5323Mark_Uchneat26130.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/5323Mark_Uchneat26130.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1334,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/a-seasonal-change-of-clothes\/","url_meta":{"origin":16947,"position":1},"title":"A Seasonal Change of Clothes","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"December 27, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"With the hard work of raising young behind them, many birds shed their tired, worn-out feathers (a process called molting) in winter and replace them with new ones.\u00a0But not all birds make a simple one-for-one swap. Some species turn dull, while others nearly completely flip their plumages. Here are a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/12\/AmericanGoldfinchWinterValerie-Rene%C3%A9Flickr_small.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16289,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-return-of-the-feeder-frenzy\/","url_meta":{"origin":16947,"position":2},"title":"Take 5: Return of the Feeder Frenzy","author":"Ryan D.","date":"August 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"We are so excited to finally be able to put bird feeders back out, now that the threat of the mysterious avian disease seems to have subsided. Thank you to everyone who heeded the call\u2014taking down feeders was an important precaution during a time of uncertainty and we are grateful\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Birds & Birding"","block_context":{"text":"Birds & Birding","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/birds-birding\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Goldfinch at a nyjer (thistle) feeder \u00a9 Anindya Sen","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/08\/5978Anindya_Sen30167-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/08\/5978Anindya_Sen30167-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/08\/5978Anindya_Sen30167-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/08\/5978Anindya_Sen30167-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12205,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-winter-songbirds\/","url_meta":{"origin":16947,"position":3},"title":"Take 5: Winter Songbirds","author":"Ryan D.","date":"January 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Whether you\u2019re briskly pacing across Boston Common or gazing out your kitchen window into a snow-covered suburban backyard, birds can be seen all winter long. The birds featured below are some of the most commonly seen species in winter all across Massachusetts, and many of them will readily come to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Eastern Bluebird \u00a9 Cheryl Rose","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/01\/111Cheryl_Rose12863.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/01\/111Cheryl_Rose12863.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/01\/111Cheryl_Rose12863.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/01\/111Cheryl_Rose12863.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5594,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-splish-splash\/","url_meta":{"origin":16947,"position":4},"title":"Take 5: Splish Splash","author":"Rosemary","date":"June 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"One way to bring more birds to your yard is to add a source of water. 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