White-throated Shrike-Tanager

Overview

The white-throated shrike-tanager (Lanio leucothorax) is a Near Threatened species in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

Identification

• About 20 cm long with a shrike-like, toothed bill that has a hooked end.
• Sexually dimorphic; males have rich yellow upperparts, black heads, white throats, and bright yellow bellies, while females are reddish brown above with a grayish brown head.
• Song is a deliberate, low-pitched series of melodic notes followed by higher whistles, and calls include a repeated 'peeuuu' or 'peet!-teeuu!'.

Habitat

It inhabits the interior of evergreen forest in the lowlands and foothills of the tropical and lower subtropical zones. Its range spans eastern Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and western Panama, with elevational limits varying between 750 m and 1,100 m depending on the source.

Diet

It feeds primarily on insects and occasionally includes fruit in its diet. Pairs and family groups forage in mixed-species flocks from the forest mid-level to the canopy, most often in the subcanopy, and capture prey with fast acrobatic chases.

Did you know?

The species often acts as a flock sentinel, and the only known nest was found in a low bush inside the forest and held two eggs that were white with dark spots.