Flame-throated Warbler

Overview

The flame-throated warbler (Oreothlypis gutturalis) is a small New World warbler that is sometimes classified within the genera Vermivora and Parula.

Identification

• 12 cm long and weighs 10 g.
• Features slate grey upper parts with black on the back, lores, and around the eye.
• Displays a vermilion throat and breast that contrasts with a whitish belly.
• The male possesses a more extensive black mask than the female.
• Song is described as a buzzing 'pi pipipipi shwaaaa' with a sharp 'chit' call.

Habitat

This species resides in the Talamancan montane forests of Costa Rica and western Panama, typically ranging from 2,100 m up to the timberline in the canopy, woodland edges, and clearings. On the Caribbean slope during the wet season, it may descend as low as 1,400 m.

Diet

Feeds on caterpillars, insects, and spiders picked from foliage using its sharp pointed bill. It is territorial during breeding but joins mixed feeding flocks of insectivorous birds at other times.

Did you know?

The nest is always sheltered above by epiphytes or mosses, regardless of whether it is constructed in a tree or on a low bank.