- Altamira Yellowthroat
Taxobox
name = Altamira Yellowthroat
status = VU | status_system = IUCN3.1
status_ref =IUCN2006|assessors=BirdLife International|year=2006|id=9081|title=Geothlypis flavovelata|downloaded=11 May 2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is vulnerable]
trend = down
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo =Passeriformes familia =
Parulidae
genus = " Geothlypis "
species = "G. flavovelata"
binomial = "Geothlypis flavovelata"
binomial_authority = (Ridgway, 1896)The Altamira Yellowthroat, "Geothlypis flavovelata", is a
New World warbler . It is a resident breedingbird endemic to coastal northeasternMexico .Curson, Quinn and Beadle, "New World Warblers" ISBN 0-7136-3932-6]It is closely related to
Common Yellowthroat ,Belding's Yellowthroat andBahama Yellowthroat , with which it forms a superspecies, and was formerly considered conspecific with those species.The Altamira Yellowthroat is 13 cm long and has a yellow-green back and bright yellow belly. The adult male has a black facemask and yellow crown. Females are similar, but lack the black mask and have an olive crown. This species is easily distinguished from wintering Common Yellowthroats by its uniform yellow underparts, in contrast to Common’s white belly.
The song is a loud "wichety wichety wichety wich", and the call is a soft "jip". The vocalisations are very similar to those of Common Yellowthroat, and are not readily distinguishable to the human ear. Altamira and Common Yellowthoats, however, do not respond to tapes of the other’s song.
The breeding habitat is coastal
marsh es and lagoons, usually withcattail s. Little is known of its breeding or feeding habits, but otheryellowthroat s build a cup nest low in vegetation and feed oninsect s, usually captured in dense vegetation, so it is likely that Altamira Yellowthroat does the same. There has been a decline in numbers of this localised bird due to loss of favoured habitat.References
External links
* [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/search/species_search.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=9139&m=0 BirdLife Species Factsheet.]
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