Alternative name: Painted Whitestart
- Myioborus pictus
Identification
12.5-15cm Black hood and upperparts, and bright red breast and belly. Wings are black with large, white patches. Tail is black with thick, white edges. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has black breast and belly.
Similar species
Commonly confused with Slate-throated Redstart in the US/Mexico where that species has deep red underparts. Differs by having white under-eye arcs and large white wing patches.
Distribution
Southernmost United States, Mexico and south to northern Nicaragua.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized[1]:
- M. p. pictus
- M. p. guatemalae
Habitat
Pine or pine-oak woods, oak canyons, and pinyon- and juniper-covered high slopes.
Behaviour
Both sexes sing and during courtship a pair will often bond by singing together.
Breeding
They build their nests on the ground, hidden amongst rocks, roots, or tufts of grass on steeply sloping ground. Their nests are large and shallow, constructed of strips of bark, plant fibres, leaves, and grass. The female will lay 3 or 4 white to cream-coloured eggs that are speckled with fine brown and reddish spots. Incubation lasts about 14 days.
Diet
The diet includes insects which are gleaned from leaves, tree trunks, and branches; also hovers while picking insects from foliage, and hawks over water.
References
- Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Painted Redstart. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Painted_Redstart
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
