Slate-throated Redstart
Encyclopedia
The Slate-throated Whitestart (Myioborus miniatus), or, less accurately, the Slate-throated Redstart, is a species of bird
in the Parulidae family.
The Slate-throated Whitestart is a long-tailed warbler with a deep rufous head, dark back, and contrasting bright yellow breast, belly and white vent and tail tips. Bill black, legs blackish gray.
It is found disjunctly
in humid highland forests, from upper understory to mid canopy
, in Mexico
, Central America
, the Andes
from western Venezuela
to north-western Argentina
, the Venezuelan Coastal Range
, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
and the Tepui
s. Pairs remain together throughout year, often accompanies mixed flocks. Hops and flits about while flashing tail to frighten insects which are then caught in aerial pusuits. Occasionally takes protein corpuscles from Cecropia
plants and occasionally gleans insects from tree bark.
Call note is a sharp "pik" note. Song varies with region, although throughout most of range it is a varied series of whistled notes, some slurred up, some slurred down.
April to May, pairs nest
in a bulky, roofed structure with a side entrance, usually nestled in niche in bank or steep slope. Lays 3, sometimes 2 white, speckled eggs.
While most of its plumage
changes little throughout its large range, the underparts range from yellow in most of its range, to red in the northernmost part of its range.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the Parulidae family.
The Slate-throated Whitestart is a long-tailed warbler with a deep rufous head, dark back, and contrasting bright yellow breast, belly and white vent and tail tips. Bill black, legs blackish gray.
It is found disjunctly
Disjunct distribution
In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically...
in humid highland forests, from upper understory to mid canopy
Canopy
Canopy may refer to:*Aircraft canopy, transparent enclosure over aircraft cockpit*Baldachin, cloth or permanent architectural feature that hangs over altar or throne as symbol of authority...
, in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Central America
Central 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...
, the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
from western Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
to north-western Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, the Venezuelan Coastal Range
Venezuelan Coastal Range
The Venezuelan Coastal Range is a mountain range that runs along the central and eastern portions of Venezuela's northern coast...
, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an isolated mountain range apart from the Andes chain that runs through Colombia. Reaching an altitude of 5,700 metres above sea level just 42 km from the Caribbean coast, the Sierra Nevada is the world's highest coastal range...
and the Tepui
Tepui
A tepui , or tepuy, is a table-top mountain or mesa found in the Guiana Highlands of South America, especially in Venezuela. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran Sabana....
s. Pairs remain together throughout year, often accompanies mixed flocks. Hops and flits about while flashing tail to frighten insects which are then caught in aerial pusuits. Occasionally takes protein corpuscles from Cecropia
Cecropia
Cecropia is a Neotropical genus presently consisting of sixty-one recognized species with a highly distinctive lineage of dioecious trees....
plants and occasionally gleans insects from tree bark.
Call note is a sharp "pik" note. Song varies with region, although throughout most of range it is a varied series of whistled notes, some slurred up, some slurred down.
April to May, pairs nest
Nest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
in a bulky, roofed structure with a side entrance, usually nestled in niche in bank or steep slope. Lays 3, sometimes 2 white, speckled eggs.
While most of its plumage
Plumage
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...
changes little throughout its large range, the underparts range from yellow in most of its range, to red in the northernmost part of its range.