Common Yellowthroat in June
Where common yellowthroats are in June, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
June in the Common Yellowthroat's year
June is the height of the nesting season. Most resident and migrant species are raising young, migration is essentially over, and bird activity peaks at dawn. By late June the first fledglings of the year are everywhere — clumsy, loud, and constantly begging.
For the Common Yellowthroat specifically, June is a summer month inside the nesting season — one of the most active and demanding periods of this bird's year. Across the 61 states and provinces where common yellowthroats occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.
Where common yellowthroats are in June
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- year-round resident
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In June, common yellowthroats are absent in the South, year-round resident across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.
Nesting in June
June is inside the Common Yellowthroat nesting season. Nest: bulky cup low in cattails, sedges or brambles. Clutch 1–6 eggs, incubation 12 days, 1–2 per season.
The season is broadly synchronized across the range this month. During the nesting months, adults switch to protein-rich foods for their young, become more secretive around the nest site, and often visit feeders in quick, purposeful trips rather than lingering.
What to feed in June
- Caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers and spiders
A marsh and damp-thicket bird. Leave a wet, weedy corner in the yard and it may nest there.
Expect to see adults carrying food away rather than eating it — they're feeding nestlings. Fledglings visiting feeders with their parents are a June highlight.
Full Common Yellowthroat diet guide → · Best feeder for common yellowthroats →
Watching common yellowthroats this month
In June, the best watching is around food rather than the nest — adults make repeated foraging trips and are most visible at dawn and dusk. Give nesting birds space: if a bird is carrying food or scolding you persistently, you're close to a nest and should back off.
The state guides below show exactly where in your region common yellowthroats are expected this month and which native plants hold them in a yard.
Common Yellowthroat month by month
Common Yellowthroat by state
Frequently asked
Where are common yellowthroats in June?
In June, common yellowthroats are absent in the South, year-round resident across mid-latitudes and absent in the North.
Do common yellowthroats nest in June?
Yes — June falls inside the Common Yellowthroat nesting season at mid-latitudes.
What do common yellowthroats eat in June?
Caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers and spiders.
Sources
- Common Yellowthroat — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Common Yellowthroat life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Common Yellowthroat — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
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.