A glowing yellow face is framed by a highly distinctive jet black hood and bib making the rest of his yellow body pop even more.

Meet the Hooded warbler

Photo Courtesy of Bettina Arrigoni / CC BY 2.0

The hooded warbler (Setophaga citrina), is a New World warbler. A small bird measuring 5.1 inches in length, weighing 0.32-0.42 oz. Having a plain olive/green-brown back, and yellow underparts, males finish off their look with distinctive black hoods which surround their yellow faces.

Photo Courtesy of TonyCastro / CC BY-SA 4.0

The female has an olive-green cap that does not extend down to her forehead. Her cap extends to her ears and throat instead.

Males get their black hood when they are around 9-12 months old.

Photo Courtesy of Ryan Mandelbaum / CC BY 2.0

Hooded warblers breed in eastern North America and across the eastern United States right into southern regions of Canada. A migratory bird, they like to winter over in Central America and the West Indies.

Hooded warblers breed in temperate and subtropical zones in the eastern Nearctic, mainly in lowland woods or scrub, preferring to live in dense lower layers of vegetation.

Photo Courtesy of Fyn Kynd / CC BY 2.0

These birds primarily feed on small insects, spiders along with other arthropods, either catching them on the wing or picking them off vegetation.

Photo Courtesy of Andy Reago & Chrissy Mc / CC BY 2.0

During the mating season, both males and females sing to attract a potential mate, after which the female builds a nest made from bark and other plant material in the underbrush of a low-lying area. The nest has an outer layer of dead leaves into which three to five eggs are laid. After about 12 days they hatch with the chicks being fully-fledged in about 8-9 days.

Photo Courtesy of Paul Hurtado / CC BY-SA 2.0

With the population of this bird apparently increasing, combined with their huge range, Hooded warblers do not approach the criterion for Vulnerable under the IUCN criteria.

Photo Courtesy of Paul Hurtado / CC BY-SA 2.0

Watch and listen to this bird below: