Bahama Yellowthroat
Encyclopedia
The Bahama Yellowthroat, Geothlypis rostrata, is a New World warbler
. It is a resident breeder endemic
to the Bahamas.
It is closely related to Common Yellowthroat
, Altamira Yellowthroat
and Belding's Yellowthroat
, with which it forms a superspecies, and was formerly considered conspecific.
The breeding habitat of the Bahama Yellowthroat is dense dry or damp low scrub, usually drier than the areas used by wintering
Common Yellowthroats. It builds a cup nest low in dense vegetation or a tree stump, and lays two eggs. Like other yellowthroat
s, it forages low in vegetation and feeds on insect
s and other small invertebrate
s.
Bahama Yellowthroat is 15 cm long with a large bill. The adult male of the nominate race G. r. rostrata, found on Andros
and New Providence
islands has an olive-green back and mainly yellow underparts, slightly paler on the belly. It has a black facemask and grey forecrown. The female is similar, but lacks the black mask and has a grey crown; she may have a whiter belly.
There are two other subspecies; the adult male of G. r. tanneri, found on Grand Bahama
, Great Abaco and associated islands, has a yellow tinge to the forecrown band, and G. r. coryi of Eleuthera and Cat islands has a mainly yellow forecrown.
The Bahama Yellowthroat can be distinguished from wintering Common Yellowthroats by its greater size, heavier bill and slower, more deliberate movements. Males additionally have more extensively yellow underparts, a larger facemask extending onto the nape, and in the case of coryi the distinctive yellow forecrown. Females have a grey wash to the head not shown by Common Yellowthroat.
The song of Bahama Yellowthroat is a loud wichety wichety wichety wich, similar to that of Common Yellowthroat. The call is a softer jip than that of Common Yellowthoat.
This species is scarce, and is outnumbered in winter by migrant Common Yellowthroats, but appears not to be endangered. The nominate subspecies, however, is either very rare or has gone extinct in the last years of the 20th century.
New World warbler
The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are not related to the Old World warblers or the Australian warblers....
. It is a resident breeder endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the Bahamas.
It is closely related to Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat
The Common Yellowthroat is a New World warbler. They are abundant breeders in North America, ranging from southern Canada to central Mexico....
, Altamira Yellowthroat
Altamira Yellowthroat
The Altamira Yellowthroat, Geothlypis flavovelata, is a New World warbler. It is a resident breeding bird endemic to the Gulf slope of northeastern Mexico....
and Belding's Yellowthroat
Belding's Yellowthroat
The Belding's Yellowthroat, Geothlypis beldingi, is a New World warbler. It is a resident breeder endemic to southern Baja California, Mexico....
, with which it forms a superspecies, and was formerly considered conspecific.
The breeding habitat of the Bahama Yellowthroat is dense dry or damp low scrub, usually drier than the areas used by wintering
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
Common Yellowthroats. It builds a cup nest low in dense vegetation or a tree stump, and lays two eggs. Like other yellowthroat
Yellowthroat
The yellowthroats are New World warblers in the genus Geothlypis. Most members of the group have localised ranges in Mexico and Central America, but the Masked Yellowthroat has an extensive South American distribution, and Common Yellowthroat, the only migratory species in the group, breeds over...
s, it forages low in vegetation and feeds on insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and other small invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s.
Bahama Yellowthroat is 15 cm long with a large bill. The adult male of the nominate race G. r. rostrata, found on Andros
Andros, Bahamas
Andros Island is an archipelago within the archipelago-nation of the Bahamas, the largest of the 26 inhabited Bahamian Islands. Geo-politically considered a single island, Andros has an area greater than all the other 700 Bahamian islands combined...
and New Providence
New Providence
New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It also houses the national capital city, Nassau.The island was originally under Spanish control following Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World, but the Spanish government showed...
islands has an olive-green back and mainly yellow underparts, slightly paler on the belly. It has a black facemask and grey forecrown. The female is similar, but lacks the black mask and has a grey crown; she may have a whiter belly.
There are two other subspecies; the adult male of G. r. tanneri, found on Grand Bahama
Grand Bahama
Grand Bahama is one of the northernmost of the islands of the Bahamas, and the closest major island to the United States, lying off the state of Florida. Grand Bahama is the fifth largest island in the Bahamas island chain of approximately 700 islands and 2,400 cays...
, Great Abaco and associated islands, has a yellow tinge to the forecrown band, and G. r. coryi of Eleuthera and Cat islands has a mainly yellow forecrown.
The Bahama Yellowthroat can be distinguished from wintering Common Yellowthroats by its greater size, heavier bill and slower, more deliberate movements. Males additionally have more extensively yellow underparts, a larger facemask extending onto the nape, and in the case of coryi the distinctive yellow forecrown. Females have a grey wash to the head not shown by Common Yellowthroat.
The song of Bahama Yellowthroat is a loud wichety wichety wichety wich, similar to that of Common Yellowthroat. The call is a softer jip than that of Common Yellowthoat.
This species is scarce, and is outnumbered in winter by migrant Common Yellowthroats, but appears not to be endangered. The nominate subspecies, however, is either very rare or has gone extinct in the last years of the 20th century.