If you have ever felt out of place, like you just didn't belong, then you know what it feels like to be a Yellow-breasted Chat. These birds have confused ornithologists and taxonomists for decades. They have been shuffled back and forth between the wood warbler family Parulidae and the mimic family (including Northern Mockingbird and Brown Thrasher) Mimidae so many times I am beginning to lose count. The latest findings are that it is not a warbler and may belong in its own family. It is already the only species in its genus Icteria. Regardless of their taxonomy, Yellow-breasted Chats are lovely birds, one of my favorites. As you can see below they have a bright yellow chest and throat, olive-green back, white spectacles, and a long tail. Their song is a combination of chatter, notes and slurs, seemingly random in order. Watch one singing in the video below.
15 comments:
Love the video as always! What a sweet little voice!
A lovely bird to see.
Many thanks for sharing.
A beautiful bird - no matter what the experts end up calling it!
They are beauties!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
A very colourful Chat with a delightful song.
Over here the 'woodland' warblers are far less colourful .. just 'little brown jobs'.
What a lovely bird! Great captured to :)
Great photo and video of this beautiful bird! Awesome that you captured its call.
Great sighting of the Chat and capture. Fantastic photo!
Your Chat is quite a bird, I can see why your enamoured with it. Isn't funny how the human animal is so infatuated with catagorizing everything? I am good with this lovely bird having its own genus!
Lovely color on the Chat!
I hope it ends up with it's own genus.
Love your slideshow - great shots!
Great picture. They should be here in a week or two. Keep them safe for me.
Beautiful bird! His colors are brilliant. Great video!
Sometimes I think we (birders) should order and cease and dissest of changing the name, and family of our birds..lol
I have an old NATGO bird book and I refuse to buy a new one!! WOW what eye candy your photos are and I enjoyed the vid also.
what a lovely bird!
Such a lovely bird -- great shot and cool video!
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