Diet

• Primarily insects and other small invertebrates, including beetles, ants, caterpillars, termites, spiders, crickets, and grasshoppers.

• Occasionally feeds on small fruits and berries.

• Forages in dense shrubs, vines, and low tree branches, probing bark crevices and leaf litter for prey.

Range

• Endemic to western Mexico, occurring along the Pacific slope from southern Sonora through Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, and western Oaxaca.

• Common in the Zihuatanejo region, where it is a year-round resident.

• Inhabits tropical dry forests, thorn scrub, woodland edges, dense brush, riparian woodland, second-growth, and overgrown gardens, generally from sea level to about 1,500 m.

Male / Female

• Male: Rich rufous-brown upperparts, buffy-white underparts, bold white eyebrow (supercilium), black-and-white streaked face, barred tail, and a long slightly down-curved bill. Slightly larger than the female.

• Female: Nearly identical in plumage but generally slightly smaller and duller.

• Juveniles: Duller overall with less distinct facial markings and tail barring.

• Sexes cannot be reliably distinguished in the field except by subtle size differences or breeding behaviour.

Size

• Length: 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in)

• Wingspan: 17–20 cm (6.7–7.9 in)

• Weight: 15–22 g (0.5–0.8 oz)