Collared whitestart

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Collared whitestart
File:Myioborus torquatus Santa Elena.JPG
In Costa Rica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae
Genus: Myioborus
Species:
M. torquatus
Binomial name
Myioborus torquatus
(Baird, 1865)
File:Myioborus torquatus map.svg

The collared whitestart (Myioborus torquatus), also known as the collared redstart, is a tropical New World warbler endemic to the mountains of Costa Rica and western-central Panama.[2]

Description

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The collared whitestart is around 13 centimetres (5 in) in length with a weight of 10.5 grams (0.4 oz). It has a chestnut crown bordered with black, and a black forehead. The rest of the upper parts are slaty black, and the tail is black with white edges, hence the bird's name: "start" is an old English word for "tail". The face and underparts are bright yellow, with a black band across the breast.[2]

The sexes are similar,[3] but young birds are duller, with a browner back, weakly yellow underparts, and the head entirely slate-coloured, with no yellow on the face or red on the crown.[citation needed]

Behaviour

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The call is a sharp pit,[4] and the song is a mixture of slurred whistles, warbles and trills.[5]

The collared whitestart feeds on insects,[citation needed] frequently fanning its striking tail as it pursues its prey.[6] It will join mixed feeding flocks, and will follow cattle and occasionally humans for the insects they flush.[7]

The roofed nest has a round side entrance and is built on the ground or a steep bank, hidden amongst rocks, tufts of grass or under a fallen log. It is constructed from strips of bark, plant fibres, leaves, and grass. From March to May, the female will lay 2 or 3 white or cream eggs that are speckled with fine brown spots. Incubation lasts about two weeks, but other nesting details are largely unknown.[7]

Habitat

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The collared whitestart is common at heights between 1500 m and the timberline in mossy mountain forests, ravines, second growth, and adjacent pastures.[2]

References

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  • Curson, Quinn and Beadle, New World Warblers Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  • Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).

Further reading

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  • Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  • Error creating thumbnail: File missing Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons
  • File:Wikispecies-logo.svg Data related to Myioborus torquatus at Wikispecies

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