Yellow-breasted chat in the canopy

Yellow-breasted chats are far more often heard than seen — they stay buried in dense shrubby thickets and announce themselves with an odd mix of whistles, chatters, and squawks unlike any other songbird. This one came up just far enough into the open to show that bright yellow throat and breast.

Why it matters

Chats were long classified as the largest member of the wood-warbler family, but their unusual size, thick bill, and bizarre vocal repertoire were always a poor fit — genetic studies eventually moved them into a family of their own, the only North American member of it.

Getting the shot

The surrounding leaves framed the bird almost like a window, with clear blue sky behind giving a clean, uncluttered backdrop. Chats rarely sit still or in the open for long, so this was a matter of being ready the moment it surfaced from cover.