Yellow-breasted Chat
Yellow-breasted ChatYellow-breasted ChatYellow-breasted ChatYellow-breasted Chat

Yellow-breasted Chat

Icteria virens

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
349 Verified sightings at Great Smoky Mountains National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,400 Verified sightings across all 36 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Yellow-breasted Chat

The yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens) is a large songbird in its own family, Icteriidae, that is found in North and Central America. It was once placed in the New World warbler family Parulidae and is occasionally placed in the similarly named New World blackbird family, Icteridae.

The yellow-breasted chat was formally described in 1758 by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the thrushes in the genus Turdus, coined the binomial name Turdus virens, and specified the type locality as "America". The specific epithet is Latin meaning 'green'. The locality has been restricted to South Carolina. Linnaeus based his account on the "yellow brested chat" that had been described and illustrated by the English naturalist Mark Catesby in his book The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands. It is now the only species placed in the genus Icteria that was introduced in 1808 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot. It is also the only species placed in the family Icteriidae that was introduced (as Icterieae) in 1858 by the American naturalist Spencer Baird.

The yellow-breasted chat was formerly... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Northern Parula
LC

Northern Parula

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga americana

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Hooded Warbler
LC

Hooded Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga citrina

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Black-throated Green Warbler
LC

Black-throated Green Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga virens

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Yellow-rumped Warbler
LC

Yellow-rumped Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga coronata

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Black-and-white Warbler
LC

Black-and-white Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mniotilta varia

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Ovenbird
LC

Ovenbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Seiurus aurocapilla

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Yellow-throated Warbler
LC

Yellow-throated Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga dominica

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Pine Warbler
LC

Pine Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga pinus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Louisiana Waterthrush
LC

Louisiana Waterthrush

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Parkesia motacilla

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Black-throated Blue Warbler
LC

Black-throated Blue Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga caerulescens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Common Yellowthroat
LC

Common Yellowthroat

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Geothlypis trichas

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Chestnut-sided Warbler
LC

Chestnut-sided Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga pensylvanica

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
2 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
3 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
~10%
4 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
5 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
6 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%
7 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
8 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
11 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
12 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
13 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
14 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
15 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
16 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
17 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
18 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
19 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
21 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
22 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
23 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
24 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
25 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
26 Isla del Coco National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
27 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
28 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
29 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
30 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
31 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
32 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
33 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
34 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Insufficient data
35 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
36 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Yellow-breasted Chat in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-breasted Chat sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 349 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Yellow-breasted Chat in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Yellow-breasted Chat in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our monthly data.

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