Sounds of the Common Yellowthroat
Geothlypis trichas
Shortcut: witchety-witchety-witchety-witch
Song: The male's distinctive, high-pitched song is a series of repeated phrases: witchety-witchety-witchety-witch. The song is loud for such a small bird, and the singer rarely stays put, hopping or flying from perch to perch between songs. The male also performs a special "flight song," given as he rises high into the air on fluttering wings. It begins with high tink notes followed by two loud chips, then several typical song phrases, and finally a complex jumble of notes as the bird descends.
Call: The distinctive alarm call is a rattling tschat or sharp steek. During aggressive social encounters, yellowthroats often make a chattering rattle.
Length: 0:47
Bird song and call descriptions copyright 1998 by NatureSound Studio, from the book Common Birds and Their Songs (Lang Elliott, 1998: Houghton Mifflin Company). Contact: Nature Sound Studio. Photographs copyright 2009 by Brian Small and Robert Royse. All rights reserved.





