Diet

• Primarily insects, including caterpillars, flies, mosquitoes, beetles, leafhoppers, aphids, mayflies, and spiders.

• Occasionally feeds on small berries and other soft fruits during migration and winter.

• Actively forages among leaves and twigs, gleaning insects from foliage and making short aerial sallies to catch flying prey.

Range

• Breeds throughout Canada, Alaska, the United States, and much of Mexico.

• Northern populations migrate to winter from western and southern Mexico through Central America, the Caribbean, and into northern South America.

• A common winter visitor to the Zihuatanejo region, although some Mexican breeding populations occur elsewhere in the country.

• Inhabits riparian woodlands, tropical dry forests, woodland edges, mangroves, gardens, shrubby wetlands, and second-growth vegetation.

Male / Female

• Male: Brilliant yellow overall with distinctive reddish-brown streaks on the breast, olive-yellow back, and reddish-brown wing edging. Breeding males are especially vivid.

• Female: Yellow overall but generally duller, with little or no reddish breast streaking and more olive tones on the upperparts.

• Juveniles: Similar to adult females but duller and greener.

• The sexes are readily distinguished during the breeding season by the male's bright plumage and prominent breast streaking.

Size

• Length: 10–13 cm (3.9–5.1 in)

• Wingspan: 16–22 cm (6.3–8.7 in)

• Weight: 7–11 g (0.25–0.39 oz)