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SLATE-THROATED WHITESTART (REDSTART)  Myioborus miniatus 12.5–

13.5cm. Handsome warbler of foothill and highland forest and edge, adjacent

second growth with hedgerows, brushy clearings, flower banks. Forages actively,

mainly at low to mid-levels, fanning tail side-to-side; often in pairs and with

mixed flocks. Distinctive, with slaty head and upperparts, yellow belly, white

tail sides. Belly golden-yellow in Northern Mts., lemon-yellow in Central and

Talamanca Mts. Juv. has messier pattern, with sooty head and breast, paler

belly. SOUNDS: High thin tsit. Song a variable, often rather slow and simple

pleasing warble, sometimes rising at the end, 1.5–2.5 secs, such as see see swee

swee swee-see swee-see swee sii, every few secs. STATUS: Fairly common to common on both slopes, mainly

1100–2100m on Pacific slope, 750–1300m on Caribbean slope. (Mexico to S America.)

COLLARED WHITESTART (REDSTART)  Myioborus torquatus 12.5–13.5cm.

Attractive, distinctive, and often confiding warbler of highland forest and edge,

adjacent second growth and overgrown weedy pastures. Forages actively low to

high, at times on ground, fanning tail side-to-side; often with mixed flocks. Juv.

has head and breast sooty dark grayish, paler yellow belly, much like juv. Slate-

throated Whitestart, which is typically at lower elevations. SOUNDS: High, sharp,

slightly smacking tik. Song a prolonged, pleasant, rambling high warble, 3.5–

8.5 secs; longer, more varied than Slate-throated Whitestart, at times in duet.

STATUS: Fairly common to common from timberline down to about 1600m.

(Costa Rica to w. Panama.)

YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT (ICTERIIDAE; 1 SPECIES) Enigmatic

songbird long placed within New World warblers, now treated in its own family. Ages/sexes

differ slightly.

YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT  Icteria virens 16.5–18cm. Scarce winter migrant to second-growth thick-

ets, forest and woodland edge, scrubby tangles. Distinctive but mostly rather skulking, hopping at low

to mid-levels in cover; rarely ranges higher into fruiting trees and at times on ground near cover. Note

bulky build with long tail often cocked, white spectacles, bright yellow bib; lores black on adult male,

dark grayish on female and imm., which in fall has stronger olive tinge to head, pinkish tinge to mandi-

ble. SOUNDS: Hard gruff chrek and tek-tek; low rasping tcherr. STATUS: Scarce to rare Oct–Mar on both

slopes, locally to 1500m; occasionally from mid-Sep and into Apr. (Breeds N America to Mexico, winters

Mexico to Costa Rica.)

THRUSH-TANAGERS (RHODINOCICHLIDAE; 1 SPECIES) Enigmatic

terrestrial birds now treated in their own family, formerly as tanagers. Ages/sexes differ; soon

attain adult appearance.

*PANAMA [ROSY] THRUSH-TANAGER  Rhodinocichla [rosea] eximia 18.5–

20cm. Distinctive but secretive bird of woodland and thickets with brushy

understory, canebrakes; usually shy and difficult to see. Singles and pairs feed

on ground in leaf litter, tossing leaves with their bill; sings from low perch,

usually well hidden. Can appear dark in shady understory but distinctive given

size, habits, long slender bill, white eyebrow; male colors brilliant, female colors

muted but equally distinctive. Juv. resembles female but with messier head

pattern, duller underparts. SOUNDS: Downslurred rich tcheu, and tcheu-eu, at

times repeated steadily. Varied song comprises fairly short, rhythmic, rich

whistled phrases, such as wheeíchu h’whee-chu, or cheu-i heu tu-weet, repeated or alternated, typically every

3–5 secs. Songs more variable, prolonged, and can be rapidly repeated in duets. Powerful rich quality of

notes may suggest some wrens. STATUS: Scarce to uncommon and local in interior valleys of s. Pacific

slope, mainly 200–1000m. (Costa Rica to Panama.)