The Santa Marta warbler is a species of bird in the family Parulidae. It is endemic to the Santa Marta Mountains in Colombia.
Region
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Typical Environment
Occupies humid montane and cloud forests on the isolated Santa Marta massif. It uses dense understory, forest edges, riparian thickets, and secondary growth, especially where bamboo and tangled shrubs are present. The species is most often encountered in shaded ravines, along streams, and on steep forested slopes. It will tolerate some disturbance but requires substantial forest cover.
Altitude Range
1500–3200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This New World warbler is confined to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta of northern Colombia, where it favors dense montane forest undergrowth. It often joins mixed-species flocks and forages near the ground, flicking through leaf litter for insects. Habitat loss and fragmentation in its restricted range are key concerns for its long-term survival.
Temperament
active and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats close to the understory
Social Behavior
Typically forages singly, in pairs, or within mixed-species flocks moving through dense understory. Likely monogamous, nesting low to the ground in domed nests tucked into banks or thick vegetation. Pairs maintain small territories during the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, thin whistles that may accelerate or rise slightly, interspersed with high chips. Calls are sharp tseet notes given while moving through cover.
Plumage
Olive-green upperparts with bright yellow underparts and throat; head shows a pale to whitish supercilium flanked by dusky lateral crown stripes and grayish crown tones. Wings and tail are plain without wing bars, and the underparts are clean yellow. The overall look is a small, ground-oriented warbler with neat, contrasting head pattern.
Diet
Primarily gleaning small insects and other arthropods from leaf litter, low foliage, and mossy trunks. It probes curled leaves and twigs and occasionally sallies a short distance to snatch prey. Spiders and small larvae are common components, and it may opportunistically take small berries.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in shaded, dense understory of humid montane forest, especially along streams, landslides, and bamboo thickets. Often follows army ants or joins mixed flocks to exploit disturbed prey flushed from cover.
