Where’s Wildlife · Bird Field Guide

Yellow-breasted Chat

Icteria virens

Pronounced (approx.): ik-TEER-ee-uh VYE-renz

Yellow on the chest contrasts with a white lower belly. Explore the photographs, learn its field marks, and discover where to look.

Yellow-breasted Chat · Field photograph 1 — Select the main image to browse the full gallery.

How to recognize it

Three identification clues

01 · FIELD MARK

Bright yellow breast

Yellow on the chest contrasts with a white lower belly. ^[1]

02 · FIELD MARK

White spectacles

Pale markings connect the eye area toward the bill. ^[1]

03 · FIELD MARK

Heavy bill

The substantial bill and long tail help distinguish this bulky bird. ^[1]

Field tip: Note the bird’s shape and behavior first, then check its markings. Age, season, and lighting can change its appearance.

Where and when to look

Finding Yellow-breasted Chat

Listen beside thick shrub growth for varied whistles and odd chattering notes. A singing bird may briefly appear above cover. ^[1] ^[2]

Use the range map above for seasonal context and the sightings link below to explore local records.

Listen for it

Learn the songs and calls

Compare Cornell’s recordings with what you hear outdoors. Listen for the rhythm and quality of each sound, then try to locate the bird visually.

Listen to songs and calls at Cornell ↗

Compare the details

Common look-alikes

Compare shape, bill, and plumage together using Cornell’s similar-species photographs. Check age and seasonal differences before settling on an identification.

Look closer

Field Photographs

Photographs © Where’s Wildlife. Select any image to explore all 25 photographs.

Yellow-breasted Chat · Field photograph 2

Yellow-breasted Chat · Field photograph 3

Yellow-breasted Chat · Field photograph 4

Yellow-breasted Chat · Field photograph 5

Yellow-breasted Chat · Field photograph 6

Yellow-breasted Chat · Field photograph 7

Showing 8 of 25 photographs.

Life history

How this bird lives

Habitat and nesting

Nests are supported by dense low branches and vegetation. Adults search foliage for prey and also eat berries. ^[2]

Food and foraging

Insects, spiders, and fruit. ^[2]

Watch where the bird searches for food and how it moves. Feeding behavior can be a useful clue alongside plumage.

Did you know?

A closer look at Yellow-breasted Chat

Varied voice

Songs include many different whistles and chattering sounds. ^[2] ^[1]

Useful feet

Chats can hold prey with their feet. ^[2] ^[1]

Soft food for young

Nestlings receive insects such as caterpillars. ^[2] ^[1]

Range & Sightings

See where people are finding this bird

Explore community observations, photographs, and locations on iNaturalist. Zoom to your area and use date filters to investigate seasonal sightings.

View iNaturalist Sightings ↗

Reported sightings are not a complete range map. An area without records does not necessarily mean the species is absent.

Keep Learning

Bring the clues together

Choose a photograph above and describe three things you notice before looking at the identification cards. On your next walk, compare those clues with the bird’s habitat and behavior.

Sources & Further Reading

Numbered references support the identification details and natural-history information above. Cornell links open All About Birds, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

[1] Cornell · Identification ↗[2] Cornell · Life history ↗[3] Cornell · Natural history ↗[4] Cornell · Songs and calls ↗[5] Cornell · Similar species ↗[6] Cornell · Range map ↗iNaturalist · Community observations ↗

Previous and next birds follow common-name alphabetical order.

Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens)

Yellow-breasted Chat