Masked Yellowthroat (Geothlypis aequinoctialis)

[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Parulidae | [latin] Geothlypis aequinoctialis | [UK] Masked Yellowthroat | [FR] Gorge-jaune commun | [DE] Masken-Gelbkehlchen | [ES] Aranero cara negra | [NL] Zuidamerikaanse Maskerzanger

Subspecies

Physical charateristics

The Masked Yellowthroat is 13.2 cm long and weighs 13g. It has yellow-green upperparts, bright yellow underparts, and a mainly black bill. The adult male has a black facemask, bordered above with a grey band. The female is similar, but lacks the black mask. She is slightly duller, has variable amounts of grey to the head (often virtually none), a yellowish eyering and a yellowish stripe from the bill to the eye.

Listen to the sound of Masked Yellowthroat

[audio:http://www.aviflevoland.nl/sounddb/M/Masked Yellowthroat.mp3]

Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto

Range

South America : North

Habitat

The breeding habitat is marshes and other wet areas with dense low vegetation. The Masked Yellowthroat may also be found in other areas with dense shrub, but is less common in drier habitats.

Reproduction

Two white eggs with reddish-brown markings are laid in a lined cup nest low in grass or rank vegetation.

Feeding habits

The Masked Yellowthroat is usually seen in pairs, and does not associate with other species. It is often skulking, but may pop up occasionally, especially to sing. It feeds on insects, including caterpillars, which are usually captured in dense vegetation.

Conservation

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
It breeds from central Colombia, through northern Venezuela, Trinidad, the Guianas, to the regions near the Amazon River in Brazil.

Migration

Sedentary throughout range

Distribution map