| Yellowthroats | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Parulidae |
| Genus: | Geothlypis Cabanis, 1847 |
| Type species | |
| Trichas personatus[1] Swainson, 1827 | |
| Species | |
See text. | |
Theyellowthroats areNew World warblers in the genusGeothlypis. Most members of the group have localised ranges inMexico andCentral America, but themasked yellowthroat has an extensiveSouth American distribution, while thecommon yellowthroat breeds over much ofNorth America.
All the yellowthroats have similar plumage, with yellow-green upperparts, yellow breast, and a mainly black bill. The adult male has a black facemask of variable extent, usually bordered above with a grey band. The female is similar, but lacks the black mask, and may be duller in plumage.
The breeding habitat of these warblers is typicallymarshes and other wet areas with dense low vegetation. The eggs, two in most species, but up to five for common yellowthroat, are laid in a lined cup nest low in grass or rank vegetation.
Yellowthroat are usually seen in pairs, and do not associate with other species. They are oftenskulking, and feed on a range ofinsects.
The taxonomy of these closely related species is complicated, and it is sometimes difficult to define which forms merit species status. For example, common yellowthroat,Belding's yellowthroat,Altamira yellowthroat, andBahama yellowthroat are sometimes considered conspecific. Conversely masked yellowthroat can be split to three or even four species. The name 'yellowthroat' is sometimes used as an alternate name for theyellow-throated leaflove.[2]
The geographical isolation of the various populations of this mainly sedentary group has led to its genetic divergence and speciation. This process can be seen in action in the case of masked yellowthroat, where the subspecies are separated by rainforest or theAndes, leading to the development of distinctive forms, such as the Central American raceGeothlypis aequinoctialis chiriquensis. This form is found in the highlands ofCosta Rica and westernPanama, and is separated by 1000 km from its South American cousins, from which it differs in size, appearance and vocalisations.
TheKentucky warbler,mourning warbler, andMacGillivray's warbler, all previously thought to have been members of the genusOporornis, have since been moved toGeothlypis.[3]
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Geothlypis trichas | Common yellowthroat | southern Canada to central Mexico. |
 | Geothlypis beldingi | Belding's yellowthroat | southern Baja California, Mexico. |
_male.jpg) | Geothlypis flavovelata | Altamira yellowthroat | Gulf slope of northeastern Mexico |
_held_in_hand%2c_side_view.jpg) | Geothlypis rostrata | Bahama yellowthroat | the Bahamas. |
.jpg) | Geothlypis semiflava | Olive-crowned yellowthroat | Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. |
 | Geothlypis speciosa | Black-polled yellowthroat | central Mexico and the southwestern Mexican Plateau, in Guanajuato, Michoacán, and México State. |
| Geothlypis aequinoctialis | Masked yellowthroat | Venezuela and Colombia to n Amazonian Brazil and Trinidad | |
 | Geothlypis chiriquensis | Chiriqui yellowthroat | southwesternCosta Rica toPanama |
 | Geothlypis auricularis | Black-lored yellowthroat | westernEcuador to westernPeru |
.jpg) | Geothlypis velata | Southern yellowthroat | southeasternPeru, easternBolivia, and south AmazonianBrazil toArgentina andUruguay |
.jpg) | Geothlypis poliocephala | Gray-crowned yellowthroat | Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and the United States. |
_Lerma.jpg) | Geothlypis nelsoni | Hooded yellowthroat | Mexico north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. |
 | Geothlypis tolmiei | MacGillivray's warbler | western United States, and in boreal forests of west Canada. |
.jpg) | Geothlypis philadelphia | Mourning warbler | southern Canada, the central and eastern United States, Belize, Bonaire, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Panama, and other Central American Islands |
 | Geothlypis formosa | Kentucky warbler | central and eastern United States, often ranging as far north as Wisconsin to Pennsylvania. |
Authority control databases: National |
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