Slate-colored Solitaire Myadestes unicolor Scientific name definitions

The Slate-colored Solitaire is a relatively large-bodied member of the genus Myadestes, principally clad in gray and blackish, but easily identified by the broken white eye-ring, the buff patch in the wings, and the white-edged tail. Like all solitaires, the sexes are basically alike, and it is likely to be the song—which is especially haunting and ethereal-sounding in this species—which first draws attention to this bird. The Slate-colored Solitaire occurs from southern Mexico south to Nicaragua, and inhabits evergreen and cloud forests in the highlands of this region. It is generally still fairly common, despite the attentions of cagebird enthusiasts in some parts of the species’ range.

19–20·5 cm; 30–44 g. Plumage is dark slaty grey above, slightly paler below , with blacker primary coverts, buff-edged black flight-feathers, whitish-grey outer tail feathers, broken whitish eyering  ; bill dark; legs yellowish. Sexes similar. Juvenile is dark, with black-edged buff spots above, buffish moustachial streak, whitish-buff feather centres (scaly-looking) below.

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S Mexico (from SE San Luis Potosí and Hidalgo) S to Guatemala, WC Belize, Honduras, N El Salvador and NW Nicaragua.

Song ethereal, haunting, characteristic sound of local cloudforest; often starts hesitantly with a few poor notes, then breaks into varied series of clear or quavering fluty whistles, carefully delivered but of great beauty, often including or ending with loose trill, e.g. “weedu teee wheeoee du du whit whit whit… du-whip! Drrrreee teedle-o chup chup chup…”. Calls include hard nasal “rrank” or “rran” and buzzier “zzrink”.