Other Scientific Names
Myioborus castaneocapillus [Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)], Myioborus castaneocapillus [Stotz et al. (1996)], Myioborus castaneocapillus [SACC (2005)]
Other Names (World)
Tepui Whitestart, Tepui Redstart
Tepui Whitestart (Myioborus castaneocapilla) [XC247215]
by Joe Klaiber from La Escalera, Bol\u00edvar, Venezuela (song)
Tepui Whitestart (Myioborus castaneocapilla) [XC226002]
by Joe Klaiber from Upper escalera, Bolivar, Venezuela (duet)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Guaiquinima Whitestart (Myioborus cardonai) and White-faced Whitestart (Myioborus albifacies), and Paria Whitestart (Myioborus pariae) presumably also part of same group. Formerly considered conspecific with Brown-capped Whitestart (Myioborus brunniceps), but the two differ in their songs and are widely separated geographically. Treatment as separate species supported by recent phylogenetic study, which suggested that close plumage similarities between the two may be due to retention of ancestral traits, rather than to genetic similarity.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
castaneocapilla (Cabanis, 1849) - Tepuis in south-eastern Venezuela (Gran Sabana region of Bolívar) and in adjacent parts of Guyana and northern Brazil.
duidae Chapman, 1929 - Cerro Jáua (in southern Bolívar) and Cerros Parú, Huachamacari and Duida (in central Amazonas), in southern Venezuela.
maguirei Phelps & Phelps Jr, 1961 - Cerro de la Neblina, in extreme southern Amazonas (southern Venezuela).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet