Yellow-crowned Whitestart

Overview

The yellow-crowned whitestart, also known as the Santa Marta whitestart, is a species of bird in the family Parulidae. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in far northern Colombia.

Identification

• Approximately 13 cm (5.1 in) in length with dark iris, blackish bill, and blackish legs and feet.
• Adults feature a mostly black head with a light yellow crown, buffy stripe above the lores, and a buffy crescent above the eye.
• Upperparts and wings are olive-green, while underparts are mostly yellow and throat is yellow, often washed with ochre.
• Song is described as a rather weak but sibilant series of high-pitched chwee notes on one pitch, with a sharp chip call.

Habitat

This species is found exclusively in the isolated Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia. It inhabits the interior and edges of humid montane forest and cloudforest in the subtropical and temperate zones, typically ranging between 1,200 and 3,000 m in elevation.

Diet

The bird feeds on insects and probably other arthropods, foraging mostly by gleaning from the forest's middle levels to near the crown and sometimes taking prey in mid-air. While foraging, it pumps its tail up and down, and family groups often join mixed-species feeding flocks.

Did you know?

The species pumps its tail up and down while foraging and its nest is usually well hidden on the ground or an earthen bank.