Diet

• Primarily insects, including caterpillars, beetles, flies, ants, leafhoppers, and other small arthropods.

• Also feeds on spiders and occasionally small berries during migration and winter.

• Forages mainly in dense shrubs and low vegetation, gleaning prey from leaves and branches.

Range

• Breeds from southern Alaska and western Canada south through the mountainous western United States into northern Mexico.

• Winters from western and southern Mexico through Central America to Panama.

• A regular winter visitor to the Zihuatanejo region, where it inhabits tropical dry forests, woodland edges, riparian thickets, second-growth forests, and dense undergrowth.

• Prefers shrubby habitats with dense cover during the non-breeding season.

Male / Female

• Male: Slate-gray hood extending over the head and throat, broken white eye arcs (rather than a complete eye ring), olive-green back, and bright yellow underparts.

• Female: Similar pattern but with a paler gray to olive-gray hood and less sharply defined facial markings.

• Juveniles: Duller overall, with little or no gray hood and buffy-yellow underparts.

• The sexes are similar in appearance, but males are more boldly marked with a darker gray hood.

Size

• Length: 12–15 cm (4.7–5.9 in)

• Wingspan: 18–22 cm (7.1–8.7 in)

• Weight: 9–13 g