About Myioborus pictus (Swainson, 1829)
The painted redstart (Myioborus pictus) is the largest species in the Myioborus genus. It measures 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) in length, has a wingspan of 21 cm (8.3 inches), and weighs 8.5–11.3 g (0.3–0.4 oz). Males and females have identical plumage, though males are on average slightly larger than females. Adult painted redstarts are mostly black, with a bright red lower breast and belly, large white wing patches, white outer tail feathers, and white crescents below the eyes. Their bills and legs are blackish. Juvenile painted redstarts do not have the adult's red belly or glossy black plumage. Juveniles are overall brownish-gray, with a paler belly and undertail coverts, and pale cream or buff tints on their wing patches. Young painted redstarts have a deep yellow-orange mouth lining. Painted redstarts are common in open oak woodlands and canyons at elevations between 1,500–2,500 m (4,900–8,200 ft) across Mexico and Central America, and their range extends north into the United States, reaching the Madrean sky islands and Mogollon Rim in Arizona and New Mexico, and Big Bend National Park in Texas. They are believed to be entirely insectivorous. In both summer and winter, these birds can travel as far south as Nicaragua. Two rare extralimital northward records exist: one individual was found in Auburn, California (east of Sacramento) in 2010, further north than any prior recorded observation, and another was observed in Berkeley, California in 2013.
