Length: About 5¼ inches.
Male: Olive-green above, brightest on rump and tail; yellow underneath,
with gray sides; _a broad band of black bordered at the back with
gray extends across the face in the form of a mask_. The young males
lack the conspicuous mask.
Female: Similar to male, but without a mask.
Note: A sharp call-note chick, frequently repeated.
Song: _Witch'-e-tee'-o, witch'-e-tee'-o._ Writers interpret the song in
various ways. Mr. Forbush's _sich'-a-wiggle, sich'-a-wiggle,
sich'-a-wiggle_, is an excellent rendering. The song varies with
individuals, but is phrased and accented similarly.
Habitat: Roadside thickets, especially near water.
Range: Eastern North America. It breeds from North Dakota eastward to
southeastern Canada, and south to central Texas, the northern part
of the Gulf States and Virginia; winters from North Carolina and
Louisiana to Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.
The Maryland Yellow-throat is a delightful summer visitor. Trim, dainty,
exquisitely colored, lithe, and full of song, he is a charming part of
the thickets of roadsides and streams.
[Illustration: MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT]