A black-and-white warbler with a yellow face. Adult male has yellow cheeks with a single dark line through eye, black throat, black crown, black back, black wings with two white wing bars, white underparts with heavy black streaks, and white undertail coverts. Adult female has dark greenish back with black streaks and yellowish throat. First-year birds have white throat and broken black breastband. All plumages show bright white outer tail feathers in flight. Unlike Townsend's and Black-throated Green, Golden-cheeked never has yellow on breast or vent, and does not have dark auriculars.

Length: 13 (cm) Wingspan: 20 (cm)

Voice:

Buzzy, lilting phrases, like other black-throated warblers. Call is a hard chip note.

Habitat:

Breeds in juniper-oak woodlands. Winters in montane pine-oak woodlands in Mexico and Central America.

Behavior:

Nest is a cup placed among branches of a small tree. Arrives in Texas in March and leaves in July. Listed as Endangered due to small range and population size, and habitat loss.

Feeding:

Forages by gleaning foliage of trees; eats insects and spiders.