In the United States and Canada there are many birds colored primarily yellow and black. This is a common color pattern of several species of finches, tanagers, orioles, meadowlarks and warblers.

In good light, black on wings and tail ... While monotypic, birds in the south average smaller and tend to show bare dark grayish skin below eye (similar in shape to the yellow skin on yellow ...

The rounded wings have reddish primaries. The long tail is graduated with brown central rectrices tipped in black; the remainder are black and broadly tipped with white. It has a yellow orbital ring.