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Natural history information is one of the major knowledge gaps in Neotropical ornithology. Several range-restricted and threatened species in the region are still poorly known, hindering the design of effective conservation programs. Here, we used direct observations collected at 7 localities throughout the Tropical Andes to describe habitat use and foraging ecology of the Yellowheaded Brushfinch (Atlapetes flaviceps), a species of conservation concern and endemic to Colombia. Our observational records (n = 174) indicate that this species mainly occurs in secondary forests and landscape mosaics that include patches of native vegetation and agricultural areas, but it seems to be frequently associated with the presence of regenerating vegetation in early successional stages. We found that the species' diet was mainly composed of fruits and invertebrates, although other items are occasionally included. Although our data suggest the possibility of an association between habitat type and the activity recorded, as well as temporal variation in foraging behavior, this requires more research. Our observations support the idea of this species being tolerant to humanaltered habitats, but this needs to be confirmed by measuring habitat-specific productivity and survival. The results presented here not only increase knowledge of this poorly known endemic but can be useful for the subsequent implementation of management strategies aimed at increasing the availability of high-quality habitat. Received 30 November 2020. Accepted 7 December 2021. Key words: diet, natural history, successional vegetation, transformed habitats. Tropical Andes. (Spanish)--La information sobre historia natural cs uno de los principals vacios en la omitologia Neotropical. Numerosas especies amenazadas y de rango restringido son pobrementc conocidas, lo que impide el diseno de estratcgias dc conservacion efectivas. En este estudio, usamos observaciones directas colectadas en 7 localidadcs a lo largo de los Andes tropicales para describir el uso de habitat y la ecologia de forrajeo del atlapetes de anteojos (Atlapetes flaviceps), una especie endemica de Colombia y de importancia para la conservacion. Nuestras observaciones (n--174) indican que la especie se encuentra principalmcnte en bosques secundarios y mosaicos de vegetacion nativa y areas agricolas, pero parece estar frecuentcmente asociada a la presencia de vegetacion en regeneracion y zonas de sucesion secundaria temprana. Encontramos que la dieta de la especie estuvo compuesta mayomiente de frutos e invertebrados. aunque otros items son consumidos ocasionalmente. Aunque nuestros datos sugieren la asociacion entre el tipo de habitat y la actividad registrada, asi como variacion temporal en los habitos de forrajeo, esto requiere mas investigacion. Nuestras observaciones dan soporte a la idea de que la especie tolera paisajes transformados, pero esto debe confirmarse con estimaciones de productividad y sobrevivencia. Los resultados prescntados no solo incrementan el conocimiento sobre esta especie poco conocida, sino que pueden ayudar a la implcmcntacion dc estratcgias de manejo para incrementar la disponibilidad del habitat de esta ave. Palabras clave: Andes tropicales, dieta, habitats transformados. historia natural, sucesion secundaria., Scarcity of natural history data is a major knowledge gap in Neotropical ornithology, as several species still lack basic information on habitat relationships, diet, foraging ecology, and breeding biology (Lees [...]

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia has been identified as a critical spring stopover site for at least one Neotropical migratory bird species prior to crossing the Caribbean sea on migration. The strategic location of the Sierra suggests that other South American wintering migrants may stopover there, but no information is available on the migrant community during spring or how they distribute themselves between habitats and across the broad elevational gradient. Here, we present species richness and densities of migratory landbirds obtained through standardized census and captures along an elevation gradient (100-2,100 m) covering two habitats, forest and shade coffee, during two consecutive spring migrations. The migrant community (--39 species) showed a peak in species richness and abundance at mid elevations (700-1,700 m), mirroring the pattern often observed in communities of resident Neotropical birds. However, individually the abundance of the commonest species peaked at different elevations and showed high annual variability. We also found within-species differences in density between shade-coffee and forest at the same elevation, possibly reflecting differences in habitat quality for some species. Factors such as food availability and predation risk are expected to be critical in shaping the distribution of migrants during stopover, and further research is required to identify the drivers of the observed elevational patterns. This study contributes to our knowledge of the life histories of migrants during stopover and highlights the habitats and elevations where conservation measures would protect the highest number of species and individuals at a South American stopover site. Received 31 January 2014. Accepted 5 September 2014. Key words: Colombia, density, habitat quality, montane tropical forest, shade-coffee, species richness, stopover., Nearctic-Neotropical migrants have been intensively studied on their breeding grounds, and new technologies are rapidly increasing our understanding of the connections between the different stages of their life cycles (Bowlin [...]