{{short description|Species of bird}} {{Speciesbox | name = Collared whitestart | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2020 |title=''Myioborus torquatus'' |volume=2020 |article-number=e.T22721934A137114670 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22721934A137114670.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> | image = Myioborus torquatus Santa Elena.JPG | image_caption = In Costa Rica | genus = Myioborus | species = torquatus | authority = (Baird, 1865) | range_map = Myioborus torquatus map.svg}}

The '''collared whitestart''' ('''''Myioborus torquatus'''''), also known as the '''collared redstart''', is a tropical New World warbler endemic to the mountains of Costa Rica and western-central Panama.<ref name="NewWorldWarblers">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mPPUBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA200 |pages=200–201 |title=New World Warblers |author=Jon Curson |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |year=2010|isbn=978-1-4081-3516-7 }}</ref>

== Description == The collared whitestart is around {{convert|13|cm|in|sigfig=1}} in length with a weight of {{convert|10.5|g|oz|sigfig=1}}. 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.<ref name="NewWorldWarblers"/>

The sexes are similar,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Collared Redstart - eBird |url=https://ebird.org/species/colred1 |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=ebird.org |language=en}}</ref> 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.{{cn|date=May 2024}}

== Behaviour == The call is a sharp ''pit'',<ref>{{Citation |title=XC31706 Collared Whitestart (Myioborus torquatus) |url=https://xeno-canto.org/31706 |access-date=2024-04-22}}</ref> and the song is a mixture of slurred whistles, warbles and trills.<ref>{{Citation |title=XC31709 Collared Whitestart (Myioborus torquatus) |url=https://xeno-canto.org/31709 |access-date=2024-04-22}}</ref>

The collared whitestart feeds on insects,{{cn|date=May 2024}} frequently fanning its striking tail as it pursues its prey.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hilbie |first1=Connor |last2=Block |first2=Nicholas L. |date=2020 |title=Collared Redstart (Myioborus torquatus), version 1.0 |url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/colred1/cur/introduction |journal=Birds of the World |language=en |doi=10.2173/bow.colred1.01 |issn=2771-3105|url-access=subscription }}</ref> It will join mixed feeding flocks, and will follow cattle and occasionally humans for the insects they flush.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Ramel |first=Gordon |date=2023-07-12 |title=Collared Redstarts (Myioborus torquatus) Information |url=https://earthlife.net/collared-redstarts/ |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=Earth Life |language=en-US}}</ref>

The roofed nest has a round side entrance and is built on the ground or a steep bank, hidden amongst rocks, tufts of grass or under a fallen log. It is constructed from strips of bark, plant fibres, leaves, and grass. From March to May, the female will lay 2 or 3 white or cream eggs that are speckled with fine brown spots. Incubation lasts about two weeks, but other nesting details are largely unknown.<ref name=":1" />

== Habitat == The collared whitestart is common at heights between 1500&nbsp;m and the timberline in mossy mountain forests, ravines, second growth, and adjacent pastures.<ref name="NewWorldWarblers"/>

== References == {{Reflist}} * Curson, Quinn and Beadle, ''New World Warblers'' {{ISBN|0-7136-3932-6}} * Stiles and Skutch, ''A guide to the birds of Costa Rica'' {{ISBN|0-8014-9600-4}}

==Further reading== {{refbegin}} *{{ cite book | last=Skutch | first=Alexander F. | author-link=Alexander Skutch | date=1954 | chapter=Collared redstart | title=Life Histories of Central American Birds | series=Pacific Coast Avifauna, Number 31 | location=Berkeley, California | publisher=Cooper Ornithological Society | chapter-url=https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/pca/pca_031.pdf#page=369 | pages=371–376 | ref=none }} {{refend}}

== External links == * {{Commons category-inline|Myioborus torquatus|''Myioborus torquatus''}} * {{Wikispecies-inline|Myioborus torquatus|''Myioborus torquatus''}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1156543}}

collared whitestart Category:Endemic birds of the Talamancan montane forests collared whitestart collared whitestart