Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years; in the Holocene epoch of the Quaternary period
The Green-Tailed Warbler is known entirely from within the island of Hispaniola
Physical Description: Microligea, the Green-Tailed Warbler, is a small warbler - about 12 to 14.5 centimeters in length, a little smaller than a house sparrow. They have grey heads and white bellies, with green backs, wings, and tails. Their tails are fairly short, and a little more yellowish than the rest of the body. Both sexes are alike in coloration, and juveniles are slightly duller in color. They have short, pointed beaks. There is also a distinctive green crescent above the eye, which is reddish.
Diet: The Green-Tailed Warbler mainly feeds on insects and forages in the dense undergrowth and thickets close to the ground.
Behavior: These birds forage together in mixed-species flocks, though they are also known to travel alone, or in pairs. They do not migrate, but stay within their limited range year-round. They make a short, rasping, and squeaky call, and their song sounds like ‘sip sip sip’ repeatedly.
They breed from May to June in mountain environments, making nests out of a cup of vegetable material usually about 2 meters up from the ground, within shrubs and thicket. They lay about two to four green, spotted eggs, which hatch potentially within one month. The Green-Tailed Warbler then goes on to live for about seven years in total.
Ecosystem: The Green-Tailed Warbler primarily lives in mountain forests, especially pine and broadleaf forests, that feature dense understories. They are sometimes seen in semi-arid scrubland as well. Their babies are a major source of food for other animals; very few chicks survive to adulthood due to predation.
Other: Despite its restricted range, this bird is not threatened with extinction.
~ By Meig Dickson
Sources under the cut
Curson, J. & Kirwan, G.M. 2018. Green-tailed Warbler (Microligea palustris). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Jobling, J. A. 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm Publishing, A&C Black Publishers Ltd, London.
