Common Yellowthroats could be referred to as “gateway warblers.” They’re widespread and easy to spot (for a warbler). It’s quite an arresting sight when a male, all yellow throat and black eye mask, flits into the open, singing at eye level only a few yards away. Common Yellowthroats prefer brushy edge habitats, making them one of the few wood warblers that you don’t need to crane your neck to see. Males sing a loud “witchity-witchity-witchity” or “which-is-it-which-is-it-which-is-it.” Females look almost identical, minus the mask. That wide black “Zorro” mask could serve several functions. A study on a species of shrike with similar markings suggested that it may reduce the sun’s glare, like eye black on a football player. The mask also may confuse predators, making it more difficult to see where the bird is looking, and therefore what its next move might be. Then there’s sexual selection. Scientists out of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee found that larger mask size in males correlated with mating success–that is, in Washington State! The same researchers, in partnership with scientists at Skidmore College, found that females in New York showed preference for males with larger yellow bibs. The markings on birds like these striking warblers serve as a great reminder: the markings aren’t for us!
Backyard Bird of the Month is a feature by Maine Audubon created for the Maine Home Garden News, the newsletter of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard
