White-winged Warbler
Xenoligea montana
A denizen of mature montane forests wherein it feeds low in thickets and shrubs. Often found in pairs, but sometimes in mixed feeding flocks. Eye-catching, with bright green back and gray crown contrasting sharply with near white underparts. Named for the bold white stripe in otherwise black primaries. Similar Green-tailed Ground Warbler has red eyes, grayer underparts, and lacks white in wing. Calls include high sharp “tsee” and a brief, upslurred “tswee.” Song is a low chatter.
Identification
The white-winged warbler is 13 to 14 cm (5.1 to 5.5 in) and weighs 12 to 13 g (0.42 to 0.46 oz). The sexes are alike and not particularly dimorphous. Adults have a gray head and neck, a white stripe from the beak to the eye above black lores, and white arcs above and below the eye. The back and rump is olive and the tail an almost-black dark gray with white spots on the tips of the outer feathers. The wings are also very dark gray with white on the primaries that shows as a white patch on the closed wing. The underparts are white-washed with gray on the breast and flanks. Juveniles are similar to adults,z but with an overall brown cast to the adult colors.
Taxonomy
The white-winged warbler is the only member of genus Xenoligea. It was originally named Microligea montana, sharing that genus with the green-tailed warbler (M. palustris), but was later recognized in its own genus. Those two species were originally placed in the New World wood warbler family Parulidae, but taxonomists were unsure they belonged there. DNA evidence published in the early 2010s showed they were not related to other wood warblers and in 2017, they were moved to the newly created family Phaenicophilidae. The two species in the genus Phaenicophilus were also moved there from the "true" tanager family Thraupidae.<p>The white-winged warbler is monotypic, with no subspecies recognized.
- Scientific name
- Xenoligea montana
- Authority
- (Chapman, 1917)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Phaenicophilidae
- Genus
- Xenoligea
Range and habitat
The white-winged warbler is limited to montane regions of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In the former it is found in the Cordillera Central, Sierra de Bahoruco, and Sierra de Neiba. In Haiti it is found in the Massif de la Hotte on the western Tiburon Peninsula and possibly other parts of the peninsula closer to the Dominican Republic. The species inhabits several forest types that have in common a dense understory; they include mature humid broadleaf, pine-broadleaf, pine, and karst limestone forests, as well as secondary forest. In elevation it ranges between 875 and 2,000 m (2,900 and 6,600 ft), but is most numerous above 1,300 m (4,300 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
New Guinea Bronzewing
Henicophaps albifrons
A large, distinctive pigeon of lowland and montane forest. Long bill, white forehead and dark reddish neck. Metallic bronze, green and blue bands in the wing. Feeds on the forest floor and perches upright on a branch, bobbing its head. Shy and difficult to see. Thick-billed Ground-Pigeon is a similar size but has a white cheek rather than forehead and lacks iridescence in the wing. Voice, a repeated series of rapid, upslurred “woop” notes.
White-naped Jay
Cyanocorax cyanopogon
Large jay with piercing yellow eyes and stiff forehead feathers. Note the blue patches above and below the eyes, contrasting with the black face. Favors scrubby areas and savanna, but also found in riparian forest and second growth, where usually seen in small noisy groups. Vast vocal repertoire includes a frequently-given melodic and metallic call “chyup-chyup." The similar Plush-crested Jay has a blue nape and a larger crest.
Moorland Chat
Pinarochroa sordida
A small, drab, dumpy, long-legged, short-tailed chat of high-elevation habitats. The tail has a black-and-white “T” pattern that is conspicuous in flight. Found mostly at high elevations in montane grassland, in moorland, and on rocky slopes. Perches conspicuously on low perches and forages by hopping across the ground. Tail pattern is similar to a wheatear’s, but Moorland Chat is smaller and shorter-tailed. Somewhat similar to other drab brownish chats, but found in different habitats, and also distinguished by the tail pattern. Gives quiet chirps, ticks, and scratchy calls.
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