White-fronted Whitestart

Overview

The white-fronted whitestart (Myioborus albifrons) is a Near Threatened species of bird in the family Parulidae, endemic to the Andes of Venezuela. It is a sedentary year-round resident that inhabits wet montane forests at elevations between 2,200 and 3,200 m.

Identification

• 13 to 14 cm long with a blackish bill and legs.
• Adults feature a white forehead extending to the eye and forming a white eye-ring, creating a 'spectacles' effect, alongside a narrow orange-rufous crown patch and a wide black band below it.
• Upperparts are gray, the tail is black with white outer feathers, and underparts are predominantly yellow with white undertail coverts.
• Song is described as a cheerful, lively, rambling series lasting nearly 30 seconds, accompanied by a sharp, high 'tsip' call.

Habitat

Found in the Andes of Venezuela, ranging from northern Táchira north to the border with Lara in northern Trujillo. The species inhabits the interior, edges, and clearings of wet montane forest that is heavy with mosses and epiphytes.

Diet

Feeds on insects and probably other arthropods, foraging mostly by gleaning in the forest canopy and often taking prey in mid-air. It frequently flicks its outer tail feathers to flush prey, which it then acrobatically pursues.

Did you know?

The bird's common name 'whitestart' is derived from its foraging behaviour, where it flicks its outer tail feathers to start or flush out hidden prey that it then chases.