YELLOW BIRDS SEEN IN NORTH AMERICA

Bananaquit

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Coereba Flaveola

Bananaquit

Adults have black upperparts except for the yellow rump patch. The upperwing have a conspicuous large white spot at primary bases and the tail is black.

Underparts, chin, and throat are blackish to slaty black, and the rest is bright yellow. The underwing is whitish.

The head is black with a large, conspicuous supercilium. The gape is red. The eyes are dark brown. Legs and feet are dark gray to blackish.

Both sexes are fairly similar, but females are slightly paler.

Juveniles are paler and duller, with more yellowish supercilium and paler gape.

BILL: black, slender and slightly down-curved.

SIZE: small, measures about 4.13 - 4.53 inches in length.

WEIGHT: weighs about 6.5 - 14 grams.

COLOR: black, yellow, white, red, and gray.

Nectar, fruits, insects, and other small arthropods.

Various habitat types from scrubland to tropical lowland forest edges; plantations, scrubby woodland, second growth, gardens, shrubby areas, and mangroves.

South America, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina and largely eastward throughout South America. It occupies most of the Caribbean Islands and on rare occasions, found in Florida.

SONG: A short, high-pitched series of hissing chips and buzzes often repeated.

CALL: high-pitched, thin to buzzy twitters. It also gives a high, sharp “seiit” or “seeip”.

NEST: Nest is a globular structure with a circular entrance hole. It is made with grass and vegetal fibers and the inner cup is lined with finer fibers or feathers.

EGGS: 2 - 4 whitish eggs with brown markings.

INCUBATION: 12 - 13 days, female only.

FLEDGLING PHASE: 17 - 19 days.

They are always very active while foraging. They feed from base to tree canopy, and hop rapidly, probe for nectar with rapid movements before moving on quickly.

They can be very tame and may take sugar from tables, even while guests are present. They may also join mixed-species flocks at food sources.