Florida · Summer breeder

Yellow-breasted Chats in Florida

When yellow-breasted chats are present in Florida, when they nest, which native Florida plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 8a–11b yard.

Chats (Icteriidae)Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens

Status in Florida: Summer breeder
Nesting window: April–July
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 8a–11b
Range note: Panhandle only.

When to expect yellow-breasted chats in Florida

Yellow-breasted Chats are summer residents in Florida, arriving shortly before nesting begins in April and leaving after the young are independent. Panhandle only.

Humid subtropical in the north to tropical in the Keys; a wet summer and a dry winter season.

Nesting in Florida

Across Florida, yellow-breasted chats typically nest from April–July. Plan around that window: March for setup, July for clean-out.

Heat, humidity and summer storms: boxes need drainage holes, ventilation and shade, and nectar spoils fast.

Yellow-breasted Chats don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as wax myrtle, american beautyberry, coral honeysuckle for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Native Florida plants that attract yellow-breasted chats

Of the regional native plants we track for Florida, these 8 provide food or cover yellow-breasted chats use:

Wax myrtle

Morella cerifera · Shrub

Waxy winter berries and dense evergreen cover.

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana · Shrub

Late-summer purple fruit clusters.

Coral honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens · Vine

Blooms spring through summer.

Southern live oak

Quercus virginiana · Tree

Acorns and insect-rich bark.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

Feeding yellow-breasted chats through the Florida year

Top foods: None — dense brambly thickets are the draw.
In Florida's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.

Full diet breakdown for yellow-breasted chats · Best feeder for yellow-breasted chats

Frequently asked

Are yellow-breasted chats in Florida year-round?

No. Yellow-breasted Chats are summer breeders in Florida and leave for the winter. Panhandle only.

When do yellow-breasted chats nest in Florida?

Nesting in Florida typically runs April–July, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 2–6 eggs, incubated for 11–12 days.

What native plants attract yellow-breasted chats in Florida?

Wax myrtle, American beautyberry, Coral honeysuckle, Southern live oak, Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Smooth sumac are native plants in Florida that provide food or cover for yellow-breasted chats.

Other backyard birds in Florida

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Orchard Oriole Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Painted Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird House Sparrow European Starling Rufous Hummingbird Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove White-winged Dove American Crow Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wood Duck Wild Turkey Northern Bobwhite Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Red Crossbill Field Sparrow Gray Catbird Lark Sparrow Florida Scrub-Jay Hooded Merganser Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Ovenbird Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler White-eyed Vireo Northern Rough-winged Swallow Common Nighthawk Eastern Whip-poor-will Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper American Woodcock Green Heron Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Black Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Barn Owl Burrowing Owl Red-cockaded Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Horned Lark Blue Grosbeak White-winged Crossbill Brown-headed Nuthatch Yellow-billed Cuckoo Brewer's Blackbird Rusty Blackbird Boat-tailed Grackle Rock Pigeon Monk Parakeet

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.