County’s second most common bird moves fast and avoids the limelight

BY ERNIE COWAN Union Tribune 

The characteristic “witchetywitchety” song confirmed what I was looking for, but I just couldn’t spot it. The colorful little common yellowthroat is another one of those birds that you are initially more likely to hear than see.

Despite its bright yellow and olive colors, and the male’s bold, black facemask, the yellowthroat typically hangs out in dense thickets of brush or rushes at the edge of marshes or ponds. They tend to bounce around quickly, not spending much time in one place. Sometimes you just need to be patient to get that flash of color and a good look.

Despite my efforts to locate this singing bird, I wasn’t having any luck, but he continued to sing and I continued to scan the tangled thickets for a glimpse of Mr. Yellowthroat.

A movement made me glance up, and there he was, uncharacteristically out in the open, pouring his heart out with a spring melody. I have captured several photos of these colorful birds, but most were less than ideal because of the poor light, or my inability to get close enough as they moved so quickly.

This yellowthroat was on full display, and he didn’t seem at all concerned that I was close by and enjoying his avian serenade. This colorful male even posed for pictures.

While elusive because of where they tend to hang out, the common yellowthroat is actually the second most common bird in San Diego County behind the song sparrow. They love the dense growth of riparian woodlands, marshy ponds or even overgrown weed fields.

The yellowthroat is considered a New World warbler with a range extending from southern Canada to central Mexico.

This is a common bird year-round, but numbers do increase when winter migrants arrive, and they also move seasonally into gardens where their insect food is in greater supply. But, finding the yellowthroat this time of year is most productive at places like Doane Pond at Palomar Mountain State Park, Cuyamaca Lake, the San Luis Rey River mouth in Oceanside, the lake and riparian habitat at Guajome Lake Regional Park, the creek bed of Peñasquitos Canyon, and even the marshy areas of Sentenac Marsh in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Other likely locations include Lindo Lake in Lakeside, Lake Hodges, Escondido’s Kit Carson Park, lagoons along the coast, Lake Henshaw and the Tijuana River Valley. You will be looking for a small bird, less than 5 inches long, with a wingspan of 6 to 7 inches. Often, the song will be the first clue they are around, but the bright colors of the male help it stand out in the thickets where it is most often found.

Like many bird species, the males are the most colorful. Females lack

the bright yellow color, with a more drab olive brown, a little yellow at the throat and under the tail, and no black mask.

The yellowthroat is an insect eater, often hunting near the ground for spiders, ants, beetles, bees, moths and similar sources of protein.

Yellowthroats breed in San Diego and build wellhidden cup nests close to or even on the ground. Sometimes the nest will have a roof. The female will lay up to six eggs, and during incubation, the male bird will bring food to the female. Once the chicks hatch, both parents will participate in feeding.

This is a great time to head out looking for the common yellowthroat. It’s a colorful and interesting bird to add to your life list.

Cowan is a freelance writer based in Escondido. Email him at BirdandErnie@gmail.com or follow him at erniesoutdoors.blogspot.com.