Restinga Tyrannulet

12 cm. Very similar to /Phylloscartes ventralis , but with a bright yellow superciliary stripe, yellow cheeks and throat. Bill black, the base of the lower mandible pale. Above bright olive-green. Below no buff wash on belly and with olive mottling. Wings dusky-black with two yellow wing bars. The distinct call is "fee see" or "plea", quite different from the sharp "tik" of /Phylloscartes ventralis . Song is twittering and rapid, described by E. O. Willis as "sit-it-it-it-it-it-it-it-it-it-sitit-sitit". Forages 1-3 meters from the ground in scrubby restinga frequently flying back and forth to other parts of the forest. An oven-shaped nest with a side entrance see picture 3 was found in swampy restinga near Barra do Ribeira, S<C4>o Paulo state on October 23, 1994 ^98 . The adults remained close to the nest which contained two young. Rare in dense coastal sand-ridge forest restinga , often in swampy areas with standing water. This species is listed as "vulnerable", because it only has a small population which is threatened by habitat loss ^103 . In S<C4>o Paulo state found on the<8E>Ilha Comprida, Iguape, Cananeia, Ilha do Cardoso, and in<8E>Jureia<8E>south of Peruibe. Also near<8E>Barra do Ribeira<8E>and in the lower Ribeira valley. Found along the coast south to Joinville, Santa Catarina. Sea level. This distinct form belonging to the Phylloscartes ventralis superspecies was described in 1992 from the restinga of southern S<C4>o Paulo state ^97 . For more information see ^180 9594 Call. Cornell Cat 57903. Ilha do Cardoso, 7<10>11<10>1991. Recording by D. W. Finch.: 4709 Calls. Ilha Comprida, 3<10>97. Recording by Juan Mazar Barnett: 5093 >: 5504 >: A38 . Nest. Ribeira Valley near Iguape. November 1993. Photo by Marrio Barroso Ramos Neto.: