- Slate-throated Whitestart
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Slate-throated Whitestart 
Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Parulidae Genus: Myioborus Species: M. miniatus Binomial name Myioborus miniatus
(Swainson, 1827)The Slate-throated Whitestart (Myioborus miniatus), or, less accurately, the Slate-throated Redstart, is a species of bird in the Parulidae family.
The Slate-throated Whitestart is a long-tailed warbler with a deep rufous head, dark back, and contrasting bright yellow breast, belly and white vent and tail tips. Bill black, legs blackish gray.
It is found disjunctly in humid highland forests, from upper understory to mid canopy, in Mexico, Central America, the Andes from western Venezuela to north-western Argentina, the Venezuelan Coastal Range, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Tepuis. Pairs remain together throughout year, often accompanies mixed flocks. Hops and flits about while flashing tail to frighten insects which are then caught in aerial pusuits. Occasionally takes protein corpuscles from ''Cecropia'' plants and occasionally gleans insects from tree bark.
Call note is a sharp "pik" note. Song varies with region, although throughout most of range it is a varied series of whistled notes, some slurred up, some slurred down.
April to May, pairs nest in a bulky, roofed structure with a side entrance, usually nestled in niche in bank or steep slope. Lays 3, sometimes 2 white, speckled eggs.
While most of its plumage changes little throughout its large range, the underparts range from yellow in most of its range, to red in the northernmost part of its range.
References
- BirdLife International 2009. Myioborus miniatus. 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 5 October 2011.
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