Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
This is a happy little warbler that is abundant, at least in summer,
across the United States and most of Canada wherever there are
moist shrubby areas. It's a permanent resident in southern-most
United States and northern Mexico--and north up the Pacific coast to
San Francisco. The yellowthroat lives in shrubs in moist areas,
showing its distinctive markings to passersby. The female doesn't
have a black mask, but otherwise looks much like the male.
These warblers nest on or near the ground in moist areas and eat
mainly insects, including plant lice; don't look for them in the tops of
tall trees. Adults are about 5 inches long. There are, of course, a lot
of warblers over the continent, but the yellowthroat is widely
distributed and widely admired. Keep your wet areas if you want to
keep yellowthroats around.