Bird Guide

Collared Whitestart vs Painted Whitestart

Collared Whitestart (Myioborus torquatus)

Collared Whitestart

Myioborus torquatus

Tiny11 gForest

The collared whitestart is around 13 centimetres (5 in) in length with a weight of 10.5 grams (0.4 oz). It has a chestnut crown bordered with black, and a black forehead. The rest of the upper parts are slaty black, and the tail is black with white edges, hence the bird's name: "start" is an old English word for "tail". The face and underparts are bright yellow, with a black band across the breast. The sexes are similar, but young birds are duller, with a browner back, weakly yellow underparts, and the head entirely slate-coloured, with no yellow on the face or red on the crown.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Zygy · CC0
Painted Whitestart (Myioborus pictus)

Painted Whitestart

Myioborus pictus

Tiny10 gForest

The painted redstart is the largest species of Myioborus, measuring 5.1–5.9 in (13–15 cm) in length, 8.3 inches (21 cm) in wingspan and having a weight of 0.3–0.4 oz (8.5–11.3 g). The sexes are the same in plumage, though males average slightly larger than females. The adult is mostly black, with a bright red lower breast and belly, large white wing patches, white outer tail feathers and white crescents below its eyes. The bill and legs are blackish. The juvenile painted redstart lacks the red belly and glossy black plumage of the adult. Voice: Painted redstarts are unusual amongst birds, and especially amongst warblers, in that the female is capable of singing just as well as a male, and during spring courtship a pair will often bond by singing together.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Painted Whitestart
Recorded by Ana Rebeca Martinez Martinez · Call · Santa María Coatlán, San Pablo Coatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico · CC0
Photo: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren · CC BY 2.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Collared Whitestart and Painted Whitestart.