Collared Redstart

How to find it

Head for the highlands, above about 1500 to 1600 m, where it replaces the Slate-throated Redstart. Walk forest edges, clearings and riverside paths rather than going deep into the forest. Scan the mid-level canopy for a small bird flitting about and fanning its tail. Check every mixed-species flock as it passes. Its flashy tail and busy foraging make it easy to spot by eye, and you can also find it by its sharp call or jumbled song. At San Gerardo de Dota, the river is the place we point guests to for it.

How to recognise it

Look first at the face, then work down the bird.

Adults are about 12.5 cm long and weigh about 11 g. The marks to hold in mind:

- A bright yellow face and yellow underparts.

- A dark band across the neck, the collar.

- A rufous crown.

- White-edged tail feathers, fanned open again and again.

Juveniles are duller, with a brownish back and weakly yellow underparts. The head is all slate, with no yellow face and no rufous crown patch.

The yellow face is the feature that helps most when you compare it with the Slate-throated Redstart. Expect a bird in motion rather than perched still.

Behaviour and diet

It hunts insects by fanning its white-edged tail to flush prey from leaves and leaf litter. It is active, often flitting through the mid-level canopy or along forest edges, so watch for the tail fanning while it forages.

It often forages in mixed-species flocks, and birds are usually seen in pairs among other species. That is a good reason to stop and scan when a wave of birds moves through.

The nest is a roofed structure with a round side entrance. It sits in a niche on a steep bank, in a hollow on a grassy slope, or under a fallen log. The clutch is 2 white eggs with pale brown speckles.

Where it lives

This is a bird of the mountains. It lives only in the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama. In Costa Rica its range starts in the Tilarán range in the north and runs south into Panama, and it is a common resident from there southward.

It prefers mossy highland forest, brushy ravines, pastures and nearby second growth, and it favors forest edges and clearings over the forest interior.

On the Turrialba Volcano slope, from about 1500 m up, it gradually takes over from the Slate-throated Redstart of the middle elevations. Both are common residents there.

When to see it

It does not migrate, so it is a resident bird. Breeding in Costa Rica runs from March to May, and one site gives March to July, in the rainy season.

Similar birds

The bird most easily confused with it is the Slate-throated Redstart. Both fan white tail feathers, so beginners should think of both. The Collared has a yellow face and stays in the highlands, while the Slate-throated is found from the lower slopes and often shares the same area. In Monteverde the Slate-throated is usually found below about 1600 m and the Collared above that, and the Slate-throated flashes its tail more often.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

The AOCR list gives the Spanish name Candelita Collareja, and Costa Rican lists also give the nickname Amigo de Hombre. Locals say el amigo del hombre, the friend of man, because the bird is so trusting.

Status and conservation

The AOCR list marks it R-END, a resident endemic, and it is listed as Least Concern.

Photography tips

Look for it flitting through the mid-level canopy or along forest edges, where it is active and confiding. Watch for the tail fanning while it forages, and pause patiently, since it often comes within a few yards of people.