This is Bird Note.

Flitting from stem to stem, a yellow bird in a tiny black bandit mask sings with a voice many times his size.

Common yellow throats are one of the most abundant warblers in North America.

They're adaptable birds, thriving in places that pickier warblers pass

over, so it's easy to find yellow throats in urban areas. Check for them in marshes, overgrown fields,

and brushy areas along streams or trails. Many people remember the yellow throat song

pattern with the phrase, witchety, witchety, witchety.

During the breeding season, males may repeat the song an earworm-inducing 300 times an hour.

Only adult males have those bandit masks, but females and young males have light brown backs and those signature bright yellow throats,

which helps distinguish them from similar-looking warblers.

To get a good look, you might have to look down rather than up.

Yellow throats spend most of their time among low-growing plants and shrub

branches. There, they feast on insects and spiders on leaves and bark, or grab a snack from

a fruit bush. Common yellow throats are warblers that are skillful at living alongside people,

making them a great introduction to the songs and bright colors of the Warbler family.

For Bird Note, I'm Ariana Rimmel.