Black-lored Yellowthroat illustration
Birdsong field guide

Black-lored Yellowthroat

Geothlypis auricularis

The Black-lored Yellowthroat is a vibrant Neotropical warbler characterized by the male's striking black facial mask and bright yellow underparts. It is a skulking insectivore typically found in wet, scrubby lowland environments.

What it sounds like

A rapid, melodic series of warbling whistles, often more complex and hurried than the 'witchity-witchity' call of its northern relatives.

Reference call, compare with what you heard
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Rec. Edison Ocaña · EcuadorCC BY-NC-SAXeno-canto

Field notes

  • It is frequently classified as a subspecies of the Masked Yellowthroat (Geothlypis aequinoctialis) but is increasingly treated as a distinct species.
  • Males lack the broad white or pale gray border behind the black mask that is characteristic of many other yellowthroat species.
  • The species is endemic to the Tumbesian region, a biodiversity hotspot with many specialized avian species.
  • Sexual dimorphism is prominent; females lack the black facial mask and exhibit much duller, olive-toned plumage.
  • Unlike North American yellowthroats, this species is largely sedentary and does not undergo long-distance migration.
Habitat
Freshwater marshes, reed beds, and humid thickets or tall grasslands near water sources.
Range
The Pacific lowlands of western Ecuador and northwestern Peru.

Similar & commonly confused birds

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