Painted Redstart
Encyclopedia
The Painted Redstart, Myioborus pictus, is a species of New World warbler
. It is also known as the Painted Whitestart.
— where it remained for nearly a century and a half, though one naturalist placed it in the Old World flycatcher
genus Muscicapa
during that time. By the mid 1960's, researchers recommended that it be moved to its current genus, Myioborus, based on various similarities with the other whitestarts. There are two subspecies, which differ only slightly in appearance:
, though males average slightly larger than females. The adult is mostly black, with a bright red lower breast and belly, large white wing patches, white outer tail feathers and white crescents below its eyes. The bill
and legs are blackish.
The juvenile Painted Redstart lacks the red belly and glossy black plumage of the adult. It is brownish-gray overall, with a paler belly and undertail coverts, and a pale cream or buff tinge to its wing patches.
, but will also range
as far north as Arizona
and New Mexico
in the United States
, called the Madrean sky islands
as well as the Mogollon Rim
to the north, (southern regions of the Colorado Plateau
). During the summer and winter, these birds may venture as far south as Nicaragua
. Recently a Painted Redstart was found further north in California than had ever been recorded, in Auburn, CA, east of Sacramento.
The young Painted Redstart has a deep yellow-orange mouth lining.
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New World warbler
The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are not related to the Old World warblers or the Australian warblers....
. It is also known as the Painted Whitestart.
Taxonomy
When he first described the species in 1829, naturalist William John Swainson assigned it to the genus Setophaga — the same genus as that of the American RedstartAmerican Redstart
The American Redstart is a New World warbler. It is the only member of its genus and is unrelated to the Old World redstarts. It derives its name from the male's red tail, start being an old word for tail.-Description:...
— where it remained for nearly a century and a half, though one naturalist placed it in the Old World flycatcher
Old World flycatcher
The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds mostly restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.-Characteristics:...
genus Muscicapa
Muscicapa
Muscicapa is a genus of passerine birds belonging to the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae, and therein to the typical flycatchers of subfamily Muscicapinae. They are widespread across Europe, Africa and Asia with most species occurring in forest and woodland habitats...
during that time. By the mid 1960's, researchers recommended that it be moved to its current genus, Myioborus, based on various similarities with the other whitestarts. There are two subspecies, which differ only slightly in appearance:
- M. p. pictus is found from ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
in the southern United States to OaxacaOaxacaOaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
and VeracruzVeracruzVeracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
in Mexico. Birds in the northern part of the range tend to migrateBird migrationBird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
to the southern parts of the subspecies' range for the winter. - M. p. guatemalae, which is found from ChiapasChiapasChiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
in southern Mexico to northern Nicaragua, has little or no white edging on the tertials and less white on the fourth rectrix of the tail. It is non-migratory.
Description
The Painted Redstart is the largest of the whitestarts, measuring 15 cm (5.9 in) in length and weighing between 5.9 –. The sexes are the same in plumagePlumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
, though males average slightly larger than females. The adult is mostly black, with a bright red lower breast and belly, large white wing patches, white outer tail feathers and white crescents below its eyes. The bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
and legs are blackish.
The juvenile Painted Redstart lacks the red belly and glossy black plumage of the adult. It is brownish-gray overall, with a paler belly and undertail coverts, and a pale cream or buff tinge to its wing patches.
Voice
Painted Redstarts are unusual amongst birds, and especially amongst warblers in that the female Painted Redstart is capable of singing just as well as a male, and during spring courtship a pair will often bond by singing together.Habitat and range
Painted Redstarts are common at heights between 1,500-2,500 m (5,000 to 8,000 feet) and will make their homes in open oak woodlands and canyons in Central AmericaCentral America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, but will also range
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
as far north as Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, called the Madrean sky islands
Madrean sky islands
The Madrean Sky Islands are enclaves of Madrean pine-oak woodlands, found at higher elevations in a complex of small mountain ranges in southern and southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico. The sky islands are surrounded at lower elevations by the Sonoran and...
as well as the Mogollon Rim
Mogollon Rim
The Mogollon Rim is a topographical and geological feature running across the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately from northern Yavapai County eastward to near the border with New Mexico.-Description:...
to the north, (southern regions of the Colorado Plateau
Colorado Plateau
The Colorado Plateau, also called the Colorado Plateau Province, is a physiographic region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. The province covers an area of 337,000 km2 within western Colorado, northwestern New Mexico,...
). During the summer and winter, these birds may venture as far south as Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. Recently a Painted Redstart was found further north in California than had ever been recorded, in Auburn, CA, east of Sacramento.
Nesting
Their nesting is done on the ground, and they create their nests so that they will be hidden amongst rocks, roots, or tufts of grass on steeply sloping ground. Their nests are large and shallow, constructed of strips of bark, plant fibers, leaves, and grass. The female will lay 3 or 4 white to cream-colored eggs that are speckled with fine brown and reddish spots. Incubation lasts about 14 days, but other nesting details are largely unknown.The young Painted Redstart has a deep yellow-orange mouth lining.
Books
- Barber, D. R., P. M. Barber, and P. G. Jablonski. 2000. Painted Redstart (Myioborus pictus). In The Birds of North America, No. 528 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
Thesis
- Christoferson LL. M.S. (1996). Defining breeding habitat for painted redstarts, solitary vireos, and western wood-pewees in riparian areas of southeastern Arizona. The University of Arizona, United States, Arizona.
Articles
- Borowiec M, Cygan J, Jablonski P, Keller P & Sergiej E. (2006). The role of post-mating signals in breeding success: Does the intensity of nest building behavior in the Painted Redstart function as a signal of female quality?. Journal of Ornithology. p. 1) 140, AUG 2006.
- Chace JE. (2005). Host use by sympatric cowbirds in southeastern Arizona. Wilson Bulletin. vol 117, no 4. p. 375-381.
- Christoferson LL & Morrison ML. (2001). Integrating methods to determine breeding and nesting status of 3 western songbirds. Wildlife Society Bulletin. vol 29, no 2. p. 688-696.
- Cygan JP, Jablonski P, Osiejuk T, Borowiec M & Stawarczyk T. (2006). Reaction of male Painted Redstarts to playback stimuli: How it reflects social status. Journal of Ornithology. p. 1) 152, AUG 2006.
- Cygan JP & Jablonski PG. (2000). Painted redstart (Myioborus pictus) song: Preliminary analysis of song production rate. Biological Bulletin of Poznan. vol 37, no 1. p. 79-82.
- Galatowitsch ML & Mumme RL. (2004). Escape behavior of neotropical homopterans in response to a flush-pursuit predator. Biotropica. vol 36, no 4. p. 586-595.
- Howell SNG & Pyle P. (1993). New and noteworthy bird records from Baja California, Mexico, October 1991. Western Birds. vol 24, no 1. p. 57-62.
- Jablonski P, Borowiec M, Cygan JP, Mumme R & Sergiej E. (2006). Evolutionary significance of geographic variation in a plumage-based foraging adaptation. Journal of Ornithology. p. 1) 90, AUG 2006.
- Jablonski PG. (1999). A rare predator exploits prey escape behavior: The role of tail-fanning and plumage contrast in foraging of the painted redstart (Myioborus pictus). Behavioral Ecology. vol 10, no 1. p. 7-14.
- Jablonski PG. (2001). Sensory exploitation of prey: Manipulation of the initial direction of prey escapes by a conspicuous 'rare enemy. Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences Series B. vol 268, no 1471. p. 1017-1022.
- Jablonski PG. (2002). Searching for conspicuous versus cryptic prey: Search rates of flush-pursuing versus substrate-gleaning birds. Condor. vol 104, no 3. p. 657-661.
- Jablonski PG. (2003). The painted redstart (Myioborus pictus L.) search rate of a cryptic versus conspicuous prey: A field test of optimal search models. Polish Journal of Ecology. vol 51, no 3. p. 385-388.
- Jablonski PG. (2004). Conspicuousness of a flush-pursue predator, the painted redstart (Myioborus pictus L.): An experiment using bird models in a breeding habitat. Polish Journal of Ecology. vol 52, no 1. p. 79-81.
- Jablonski PG, Lasater K, Mumme RL, Borowiec M, Cygan JP, Pereira J & Sergiej E. (2006). Habitat-specific sensory-exploitative signals in birds: Propensity of dipteran prey to cause evolution of plumage variation in flush-pursuit insectivores. Evolution. vol 60, no 12. p. 2633-2642.
- Jablonski PG & Lee SD. (2006). Effects of visual stimuli, substrate-borne vibrations and air current stimuli on escape reactions in insect prey of flush-pursuing birds and their implications for evolution of flush-pursuers. Behaviour. vol 143, no Part 3. p. 303-324.
- Jablonski PG, Lee SD & Jerzak L. (2006). Innate plasticity of a predatory behavior: nonlearned context dependence of avian flush-displays. Behavioral Ecology. vol 17, no 6. p. 925-932.
- Jablonski PG & McInerney C. (2005). Prey escape direction is influenced by the pivoting displays of flush-pursuing birds. Ethology. vol 111, no 4. p. 381-396.
- Jablonski PG & Strausfeld NJ. (2000). Exploitation of an ancient escape circuit by an avian predator: Prey sensitivity to model predator display in the field. Brain Behavior & Evolution. vol 56, no 2. p. 94-106.
- Jablonski PG & Strausfeld NJ. (2001). Exploitation of an ancient escape circuit by an avian predator: Relationships between taxon-specific prey escape circuits and the sensitivity to visual cues from the predator. Brain Behavior & Evolution. vol 58, no 4. p. 218-240.
- Lovette IJ & Hochachka WM. (2006). Simultaneous effects of phylogenetic niche conservatism and competition on avian community structure. Ecology. p. S) S14-S28, JUL 2006.
- Marshall J & Balda RP. (1974). BREEDING ECOLOGY OF PAINTED REDSTART. Condor. vol 76, no 1. p. 89-101.
- Mumme RL. (2002). Scare tactics in a neotropical warbler: White tail feathers enhance flush-pursuit foraging performance in the Slate-throated Redstart (Myioborus miniatus). Auk. vol 119, no 4. p. 1024-1035.
- Mumme RL, Galatowitsch ML, Jablonski PG, Stawarczyk TM & Cygan JP. (2006). Evolutionary significance of geographic variation in a plumage-based foraging adaptation: An experimental test in the slate-throated redstart (Myioborus miniatus). Evolution. vol 60, no 5. p. 1086-1097.
- Reed JM. (1995). Relative vulnerability of extirpation of Montane breeding birds in the Great Basin. Great Basin Naturalist. vol 55, no 4. p. 342-351.
- Spofford SH & Fisk LH. (1977). Additions to the List of Nectar Feeding Birds. Western Birds. vol 8, no 3. p. 109-112.
- Unitt P. (1974). Painted Redstarts Attempt to Breed in California. Western Birds. vol 5, no 3. p. 94-96.
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External links
- Stamps (for NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
) with RangeMap - Painted Redstart photo gallery VIREO (with photo of egg clutchClutch (eggs)A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
) - Photo-High Res; Article borderland-tours
