Black-crested Warbler

Overview

The black-crested warbler (Myiothlypis nigrocristata) is a species of bird in the family Parulidae, the New World warblers. It is a sedentary year-round resident found across parts of South America.

Identification

• Adults possess a narrow black crown stripe, a wide yellow supercilium, and a black stripe running through the eye.
• Underparts are bright yellow, while the nape, upperparts, wings, and tail are olive-green.
• The bird has a dark iris, a blackish bill, and orange-yellow legs and feet.
• Its song consists of sharp, sputtering notes that accelerate into a fast, rattling series, often described as 'tik tik ter ter-ter-ti-ti-ti-TEW'.

Habitat

The species has a highly disjunct distribution across the Venezuelan Coastal Range, the Serranía del Perijá, and the Andes of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It inhabits the edges and clearings of montane forest, cloudforest, and mature secondary forest with dense understory, frequently favouring stands of Chusquea bamboo and bracken. Elevation ranges vary by region, generally spanning from 1,800 m to 3,400 m.

Diet

The diet is assumed to be mostly or entirely invertebrates, though it has not been specifically studied. It forages mostly in pairs, on the ground or in dense low undergrowth, occasionally joining mixed-species feeding flocks during the non-breeding season.

Did you know?

The black-crested warbler constructs a domed cup nest with a side entrance made from grasses and bamboo leaves, placing it on level ground, a mossy hummock, or an earthen bank.