Red-breasted Meadowlark

Overview

The red-breasted meadowlark, Leistes militaris, is a small passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It is a resident species in tropical South and Central America that benefits from open habitats created by forest clearance. The bird is monotypic, with no recognised subspecies.

Identification

• Small icterid measuring 19 cm in length and weighing between 40 and 48 g, with males larger than females.
• Males feature mainly black plumage with a striking bright red throat, belly, and wing epaulets, a look known as a "redcoat" that gives rise to the Trinidadian name "soldier bird".
• Females have buff-edged dark brown upperparts, buff underparts with a reddish tinge, and pale streaks through the crown and eye.
• The display involves the male flying up to 10 m into the air and parachuting down on folded wings while singing a wheezing ti-ti-pee-pee-KWAAAAAA.

Habitat

Found from south-western Costa Rica and Trinidad south to north-eastern Peru and central Brazil, with recent colonisation of Costa Rica and first sightings in Nicaragua in 2008. The species inhabits open country, including moist grasslands, pastures, and cultivation, preferably with the occasional bush or fence post for males to use as a songpost. It has benefited from the creation of open habitats through forest clearance and ranching.

Diet

This gregarious bird feeds mainly on insects and some seeds, including rice. It forages on the ground in a manner similar to a bobolink.

Did you know?

Formerly known as the red-breasted blackbird, the species is not closely related to the red-winged blackbird group. Its specific name, militaris, and the local Trinidadian name "soldier bird" derive from the male's striking red plumage.