Family: Parulidae, Wood Warblers view all from this family

Description 6 1/2-7 1/2" (17-19 cm). The size of a large sparrow. Olive green above, with bright yellow breast and white abdomen. Stout black bill; black face mask bordered above and below with white; white "spectacles." Tail long.

Habitat Dense thickets and brush, often with thorns; streamside tangles and dry brushy hillsides.

Nesting 4 or 5 brown-spotted white eggs in a bulky mass of bark, grass, and leaves, lined with finer grass and concealed in a dense bush.

Range Breeds from British Columbia, Ontario, and (rarely) Massachusetts south to California, Gulf Coast, and Florida. Winters in tropics.

Voice   Series of widely spaced croaks, whistles, and short repeated phrases, very unlike a typical warbler's song. Often sings at night. At times it performs a musical display flight, flopping awkwardly up and down with legs dangling, while singing.

Discussion The Yellow-breasted Chat is an atypical wood warbler. Its large size and stout bill, long tail, and distinctive display flight, hovering with slow, deep-flapping wings and dangling feet, make it seem more like one of the mockingbirds or thrashers. Since it prefers brushy tangles and is relatively shy, it is more often heard than seen.