Altamira Yellowthroat Geothlypis flavovelata Scientific name definitions

Endemic to the coastal marshes of northeast Mexico, the Altamira Yellowthroat is currently listed as Vulnerable on account of ongoing habitat degradation and loss within its comparatively small and patchy range, although at least locally the species is still fairly common. Males possess yellow-olive upperparts, a yellow crown bordering the black mask, and bright yellow underparts, washed dusky olive over the flanks. Females, like those of all Geothlypis, lack the mask, and instead have a yellow face with olive ear-coverts. Basic life history information for this species is very limited, which must further hamper efforts to conserve the Altamira Yellowthroat. The species’ takes its unusual vernacular name from that of the type locality.

13 cm; 10·2–11·5 g. Male  typically has head mostly yellow with black facial mask ; rear crown, nape and upperparts quite bright olive; throat  and underparts bright yellow, washed olive on flanks; some males (apparently especially in C Tamaulipas) have less yellow on head, giving appearance of broad yellow frontal band, possibly individuals in fresh plumage (with olive feather tips obscuring yellow bases); iris dark; bill blackish; legs pinkish. Distinguished from all congeners mainly by brighter general appearance. Female  lacks black mask, has crown and ear-coverts olive, crown faintly washed brown, with forehead, supercilium, eye-crescents and side of neck yellow. Juvenile has olive head and upperparts, possibly with greyish wash on side of head, and paler olive underparts, becoming buffy yellow on belly and undertail-coverts.

Coastal E Mexico in C & S Tamaulipas, extreme E San Luis Potosí and N Veracruz.

Freshwater marshes containing extensive reedbed vegetation; also smaller areas of reeds in ponds and irrigation ditches.

Song  a series of rich scratchy phrases  , apparently very similar to that of G. trichas. Call a husky "cheh" or "chrek", similar to that of G. trichas but apparently rather huskier.

VULNERABLE. Restricted-range species: present in North-east Mexican Gulf Slope EBA. Uncommon; reliant on freshwater marshes containing extensive reedbeds. Has declined seriously in recent years, principally as a result of habitat loss; several populations now extirpated. Present stronghold in Tamaulipas, where large population in Laguna Champayán area, but this possibly under threat from drainage associated with industrial development. Now very rare in Veracruz, where stronghold the area inland from Tecolutla; further population near El Naranjo, in E San Luis Potosí. Previously reported from Laguna de Tamiahua area and near Tamuín and Ebano, on Veracruz-San Luis Potosí border, but no recent records from these areas. In addition to drainage linked with industrialization, the drainage of marshes for cattle-ranching is a potential threat in many areas. This species is able to persist in small fragments of habitat, but these perhaps unsustainable in long term, and in Veracruz probably insufficient habitat remains to support a viable population.