Northern Yellow Warbler Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesNorthern Yellow Warbler
Adult male
Small, round-headed warbler with a beady black eye and stout bill. Adult males are bright yellow overall with chestnut streaks on the breast.
© Jeff Dyck / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, May 12, 2024Adult female
Small, round-headed warbler with a beady black eye and stout bill. Females are yellow overall with a yellow-green back and mostly unstreaked yellow underparts.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, May 20, 2018Adult male
A small, all-yellow warbler with a beady black eye. Male has chestnut streaks on the breast. Hops between branches to forage for insects on leaf surfaces.
© Matthew D. Medler / Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 03, 2015Immature
Immatures are paler yellow overall, although some can be almost entirely grayish.
© Michael O'Brien / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, September 04, 2016Immature
Immatures vary from pale yellow to brownish to grayish. Note large beady black eye and stout bill.
© Zak Pohlen / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, August 21, 2016Adult male
Male sing a sweet series of 6–10 whistled notes, often remembered with the mnemonic sweet sweet sweet I’m so sweet.
© Daniel Jauvin / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, May 22, 2022Adult male
Small, round-headed warbler with a beady black eye and stout bill. Adult males are bright yellow overall with a yellow-green back and chestnut streaks on the breast.
© Keenan Yakola / Macaulay LibraryMaine, May 10, 2015Adult male
Breeds in shrubby thickets and woods, particularly along watercourses and in wetlands.
© Simon Boivin / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, May 27, 2017Adult female
Builds a deep cup nest constructed with grasses, strips of bark, and spiderwebs.
© Brad Walker / Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 15, 2015Adult male
Distinctive entirely yellow warbler. Often found foraging in shrubby understories.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 21, 2017Similar SpeciesWilson's Warbler
Female/immature
Female and immature Wilson's Warblers are smaller than Northern Yellow Warblers with a yellow eyebrow and darker cap.
© Shawn Billerman / Macaulay LibraryWyoming, September 10, 2013Similar SpeciesWilson's Warbler
Adult male
Wilson's Warblers are smaller than Northern Yellow Warblers. Adult males have a dark cap that Northern Yellow Warblers do not have.
© Sue Orwig / Macaulay LibraryTexas, January 04, 2017Similar SpeciesHooded Warbler
Female/immature
Female and immature Hooded Warblers have a yellow cheek patch offset by a faintly darker hood; Northern Yellow Warblers have a uniform yellow head and face.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, September 17, 2011Similar SpeciesOrange-crowned Warbler
Adult
Orange-crowned Warblers have a thinner bill and are duller yellow-olive overall than Northern Yellow Warblers.
© Caroline Lambert / Macaulay LibraryAlberta, April 30, 2017Similar SpeciesPalm Warbler
Breeding adult (Yellow)
Palm Warblers are larger than Northern Yellow Warblers. Breeding "Yellow" Palm Warblers have a rusty cap and streaking on the sides.
© Margaret Viens / Macaulay LibraryMaine, April 16, 2013Similar SpeciesPalm Warbler
Nonbreeding/immature (Western)
Palm Warblers are larger than Northern Yellow Warblers. Nonbreeding/immature "Western" Palm Warblers are browner overall with a pale eyebrow.
© Luke Seitz / Macaulay LibraryMaine, December 28, 2016Similar SpeciesMangrove Yellow Warbler
Adult male (Cozumel)
Many Mangrove Yellow Warblers from the Caribbean are especially similar to Northern Yellow Warbler, but males often show some chestnut on the crown, more greenish upperparts, and less yellow edging to the coverts.
© Luis Trinchan / Macaulay LibraryQuintana Roo, March 17, 2024Similar SpeciesMangrove Yellow Warbler
Female (Mexican)
Many female Mangrove Yellow Warblers can be separated from Northern Yellow Warbler by the presence of some faint orange on the face and throat. However, some birds may not be safely separated in the field at some times of the year.
© Daniel Aldana | Ornis Birding Expeditions / Macaulay LibraryEscuintla, October 21, 2018Similar SpeciesCommon Yellowthroat
Female
Female Common Yellowthroats are browner than female/immature Northern Yellow Warblers and do not have yellow bellies.
© Davey Walters / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, August 18, 2016Similar SpeciesAmerican Goldfinch
Breeding male
American Goldfinches have a shorter, thicker bill and darker wings than Northern Yellow Warblers.
© Yves Dugré / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, March 21, 2017Similar SpeciesAmerican Goldfinch
Nonbreeding male
American Goldfinches have a shorter, thicker bill and darker wings than Northern Yellow Warblers.
© Brad Imhoff / Macaulay LibraryOhio, January 20, 2022Search species and articles
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