Plate 013 · fanning its tail to flush a fly IdentificationSix marks on the plate
- 1Rufous crown that gives the name.
- 2White crescents above and below the eye.
- 3Yellow underparts from throat to belly.
- 4Olive-grey back. Darker grey wings.
- 5White outer tail feathers that flash when the tail opens.
- 6White undertail coverts under the base of the tail.
Easily confused with Golden-crowned WarblerBasileuterus culicivorusYellow central crown stripe edged black. No white in the tail. Two-banded WarblerMyiothlypis bivittataLarger, with an olive back and two black crown stripes. No white in the tail. 013 / 100 · BIRDS · PARULIDAELEAST CONCERN Brown-capped Whitestart
Myioborus brunniceps
Arañero corona rojiza · Brown-capped Redstart
A small bird that never keeps still. It spreads its tail and droops its wings to flash the white outer feathers. The flash startles insects into flight, and then it snaps them up in the air.
- Length
- c. 13 cm
- Altitude
- 400 – 2,800 m
- Commonest
- 1,400 – 1,700 m
- Range
- Argentina and Bolivia only
- Insect eater
- Mixed flocks
- Fanned tail
- Moves down in winter
Altitude rangeMontane forest, lower in winter
BreedingWinter In Argentina it is commonest between 1,400 and 1,700 m, in montane forest and woodland. Outside the breeding season it comes down to about 400 m.
FoodAn insect hunter
- Flies and gnatscaught in short sallies
- Caterpillarson leaves and twigs
- Spidersin moss and lichen
- Small mothsflushed from foliage
It forages in the middle and lower levels of the forest. It works along branches covered in moss and lichen, where many insects hide.
BehaviourAlways on the move
J F M A M J J A S O N D BreedingPresent - Flush and catch. It fans tail and wings to flush insects, then chases them in short flights.
- Flock member. It often travels in mixed flocks with other forest insect eaters.
- Nests on the ground. It builds a domed nest hidden in a bank or among roots.
Where to look in Tucumán- Sierra de San Javier
- Reserva Experimental Horco Molle
- Parque Provincial La Florida
- Cuesta del Clavillo
- PN Aconquija
- Los Ñuñorcos