A common yellowthroat was observed by several participants in a birding field trip to the Hackett Hill property on May 13, 2000. The trip was sponsored by the Amoskeag Chapter of the NH Audubon Society and was led by Jane Hills.
The bird was observed in a thicket directly adjacent to the
top of the access road as it leads into the "phantom parking lots."
(see Wetlands
Map)
The common yellowthroat is a wren-like warbler. Its length is 11.5 - 14 cm. The male of the species has a conspicuous broad black facial mask, a yellow throat and breast, and brownish sides. (The mask is lacking in the female.) The male has a loud song which sounds like "witchity witchity witchity witch."
The preferred habitat for the bird includes woodland edges near water or marshes, but its breeding areas are low dense thickets or shrubbery where its nests are placed at very low heights.
The common yellowthroat is one of the most common
warblers throughout its summer range (U.S. and Canada.) It is a
migratory bird and winters in the southern U.S., West Indies, the
Bahamas, Costa Rica and Panama.
Credits: The photograph of the common yellowthroat was
taken by Dan Sudia. It appeared on the Clay Hill Memorial Forest Web
Site.
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