A small, striking, warbler-like songbird with dark above and variable amounts of yellow below. Dark, thin, decurved bill with bright pink gape. Black to olive-gray upperparts with a long, bold white supercilium and white patch at base of primaries. Yellow rump. Underparts vary greatly. Many birds show white throat, lower belly, and undertail coverts; some populations have gray instead of white. Populations vary from having a lemony-yellow breast patch to having yellow from chest to lower belly. Some variants, especially in the Southern Caribbean, have black throats or are almost entirely black. Juveniles are drabber overall with a yellowish supercilium and less yellow on underparts; they also have a paler gape and rump patch.

Length: 11 (cm) Wingspan: 20 (cm)

Habitat:

Found in second-growth woodlands or other forested areas. Often found in residential parks, yards, and gardens.

Behavior:

Active and gregarious. May form flocks or visit feeders in large numbers. Often hangs upside down to sip nectar from flowers. Also pierces holes in the bottom of flowers to collect nectar. Nests in globular nests of grasses and leaves; roosts in vacant nests.

Feeding:

Feeds on nectar, fruits, and small insects.