Common Chlorospingus Chlorospingus flavopectus Scientific name definitions
Text last updated January 1, 2011
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Species names in all available languages
Language | Common name |
---|---|
Catalan | tàngara de matollar comuna |
Dutch | Briltangare |
English | Common Chlorospingus |
English (United States) | Common Chlorospingus |
French | Chlorospin des buissons |
French (France) | Chlorospin des buissons |
German | Finkengrünammer |
Icelandic | Runnatáni |
Japanese | ヤブフウキンチョウ |
Norwegian | busktanagarspurv |
Polish | zieleniec żółtopierśny |
Russian | Очковый дромник |
Serbian | Obični hlorospingus |
Slovak | olivec žltoprsý |
Spanish | Clorospingo Común |
Spanish (Argentina) | Frutero Yungueño |
Spanish (Costa Rica) | Tangara de Monte Ojeruda |
Spanish (Ecuador) | Clorospingo Común |
Spanish (Honduras) | Chinchinero de Bosque Nublado |
Spanish (Mexico) | Chinchinero Común |
Spanish (Panama) | Clorospingus Común |
Spanish (Peru) | Chlorospingo Común |
Spanish (Spain) | Clorospingo común |
Spanish (Venezuela) | Ojo Blanco |
Swedish | vanlig busksparv |
Turkish | Klorospingus |
Ukrainian | Зеленник мінливобарвний |
Chlorospingus flavopectus (de Lafresnaye, 1840)
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Introduction
A very widespread Neotropical passerine, the Common Bush-Tanager is found in highland regions virtually throughout Middle America, from Mexico southwards, and the Andean chain in South America, reaching its southernmost point in northwest Argentina. It is generally found in small (presumably family) groups, sometimes with mixed-species flocks in the undergrowth of cloud forests and their borders. Virtually all of the species’ many subspecific populations are characterized by having a white post-ocular spot, brownish-colored head, greener upperparts, and yellowish underparts. Their taxonomy is complex. Although South American taxa have yet to be subjected to detailed systematic scrutiny, those in Middle America have been suggested, on the basis of both genetic and morphological data, to represent at least five different species, of which four of them are endemic to Mexico. Undoubtedly, under such principles, it is probable that additional, multiple species are likely to be recognized under the Phylogenetic Species Concept over the rest of the Common Bush-Tanager’s range.
Field Identification
13–14 cm; 13–18 g (bolivianus), 16–22·5 g (hiaticolus), 15·1–18·5 g (jacqueti), 19·1–28·4 g (flavopectus). Variable bush-tanager, generally olive above, with grey to occasionally blackish head, grey to white underparts, with throat pale or dark and plain or well marked, and usually with distinct breastband. Nominate race has head brownish, prominent white eyering and postocular stripe, dark brown patch on ear-coverts, and some whitish on loral area; otherwise yellowish-olive above, including wing and tail; throat and underparts whitish, strongly tinged pale yellow on chest, sides, flanks and undertail-coverts, sometimes dark flecks on side of throat; iris brown; bill dusky grey; legs dark grey. Sexes similar. Immature is generally browner above, dingier and darker below, and with duller, less pronounced postocular spot. Races differ in plumage colour (especially head, throat and pectoral band), iris colour, presence or absence of white postocular mark, and other markings: albifrons differs from nominate in having a more sienna-brown head, with buffy-white supraloral area, extensive loral area blackish, throat light cinnamon-buff, often with dark strokes forming a malar stripe, and darker yellow-ochre pectoral band; postocularis is similar to nominate, but crown greyish, lores dusky, postocular stripe shorter, has indistinct dusky lateral crownstripe, dusky lores and whitish throat; dwighti differs from nominate in having crown slate-grey, becoming blackish laterally, producing two rather broad but not sharply defined lateral stripes, also back somewhat darker and more citrine (less greenish), middle of belly more greyish; honduratius is like postocularis, but crown uniformly greyish (no dusky lateral crownstripe); regionalis is like nominate, but head greyish with browner tinge on forecrown, rear ear-coverts paler, throat with dull brownish mottling; novicius is like nominate, but head and loral area dusky brown, malar area buff, and prominent white postocular spot partly surrounding eye (but no stripe), and whitish throat; punctulatus differs from nominate in having head very dark blackish-brown, olive of upperparts tinged rufescent (not yellowish), and chestband darker yellow; eminens has prominent white postocular spot and almost clean white throat; exitelus lacks postocular spot; falconensis has white postocular spot, iris pale grey; flavopectus has greyish head, dark iris, almost clean white throat (no spots), and no postocular spot; jacqueti has whitish iris and prominent white postocular spot; macarenae is closest to flavopectus, but crown slightly darker brownish-grey, throat darker buff and more spotted, chest and sides darker yellow, and whitish belly; nigriceps has dusky head, white iris and no white postocular; phaeocephalus is one of dingiest races, has pale yellowish to orangish iris, lightly dotted buff throat, and no postocular; ponsi has white postocular; trudis has almost unspotted white throat and no postocular spot; venezuelanus has sooty-black head, whitish iris, white postocular, and whitish throat thickly dotted black; cinereocephalus has dark brownish-grey crown, yellowish to pale grey iris, no white postocular, and chestband yellow-buff (not yellow); peruvianus has grey head, pale iris, no white postocular, buff-white throat with spots, and chest and sides pale yellow; bolivianus has blackish head, white iris, white postocular, dusky cheek, dingy throat and prominent buff chestband; argentinus is like previous, but has dingy brownish (not dusky) crown and side of head, dark iris, small white postocular, and deeper ochraceous pectoral band; fulvigularis has both throat and, especially, chest strongly washed ochraceous, iris variable, some pale-eyed and others dark-eyed.
Systematics History
Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.
Paraphyletic with respect to C. tacarcunae, C. inornatus and C. semifuscus (1). Constituent taxa, which may or may not break down into a number of species, exhibit a high degree of mosaic variation involving pale or dark irides, presence or absence of a white postocular patch, colour of crown, throat and breast, morphometrics, voice (2) and genetics; despite important insights in a succession of studies (3, 4, 1, 5, 6) no unequivocal new rearrangement has yet emerged for adoption (7, 8), and a comprehensive integrative analysis of the complex is still badly needed (including the evaluation of poorly defined taxa). Race punctulatus has sometimes been treated as a full species, as have cinereocephalus and the “flavopectus group” (also including trudis, nigriceps, exitelus, macarenae and phaeocephalus). Proposed race novicius represents intergrades between regionalis and punctulatus (9). Proposed race persimilis (described from R Guajolote, SW of San Miguel Suchixtepec, in Oaxaca, Mexico) regarded as synonymous with albifrons (10), although genetic data offer support for its recognition (1). Species name long given as ophthalmicus, but flavopectus has priority (11). Twenty-six subspecies currently recognized.Subspecies
Common Chlorospingus (Northeast Mexico) Chlorospingus flavopectus ophthalmicus Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus ophthalmicus (Du Bus de Gisignies, 1847)
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- ophthalmica / ophthalmicus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Common Chlorospingus (Southwest Mexico) Chlorospingus flavopectus albifrons Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus albifrons Salvin & Godman, 1889
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- albifrons
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Common Chlorospingus (Middle America) Chlorospingus flavopectus [postocularis Group]
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus wetmorei Lowery & Newman, 1949
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- wetmorei
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus dwighti Underdown, 1931
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- dwighti
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus persimilis Phillips, 1966
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- persimile / persimilis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus postocularis Cabanis, 1866
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- postocularis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus honduratius Berlepsch, 1912
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- honduratius / hondurensis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus regionalis Bangs, 1906
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- regionalis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus novicius Bangs, 1902
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- novicius
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Common Chlorospingus (Central Panama) Chlorospingus flavopectus punctulatus Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus punctulatus Sclater & Salvin, 1869
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- punctulata / punctulatus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Common Chlorospingus (Venezuela) Chlorospingus flavopectus [venezuelanus Group]
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus ponsi Phelps & Phelps, 1952
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- ponsi
The Key to Scientific Names
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Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus falconensis Phelps & Gilliard, 1941
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- falconensis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus jacqueti Hellmayr, 1921
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- jacqueti
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus venezuelanus Berlepsch, 1893
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- venezuelae / venezuelana / venezuelanus / venezuelense / venezuelensis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Common Chlorospingus (Northern Andes) Chlorospingus flavopectus [flavopectus Group]
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus exitelus Olson, 1983
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- exitelus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus nigriceps Chapman, 1912
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- nigriceps
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus eminens Zimmer, 1946
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- eminens
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus olsoni Avendaño et al., 2013
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- olsoni
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus trudis Olson, 1983
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- trudis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus macarenae Zimmer, 1947
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- macarenae
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus flavopectus (de Lafresnaye, 1840)
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus phaeocephalus Sclater & Salvin, 1877
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- phaeocephala / phaeocephalus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus hiaticolus O'Neill & Parker, 1981
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- hiaticola / hiaticolus
The Key to Scientific Names
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Common Chlorospingus (cinereocephalus) Chlorospingus flavopectus cinereocephalus Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus cinereocephalus Taczanowski, 1874
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- cinereocephalus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Common Chlorospingus (Southern Peru) Chlorospingus flavopectus peruvianus Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus peruvianus Carriker, 1933
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- peruana / peruanum / peruanus / peruvia / peruviana / peruvianus / peruviensis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Common Chlorospingus (Northern Bolivia) Chlorospingus flavopectus bolivianus Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus bolivianus Hellmayr, 1921
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- boliviae / boliviana / bolivianum / bolivianus / boliviensis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Common Chlorospingus (Southern Bolivia) Chlorospingus flavopectus fulvigularis Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus fulvigularis Berlepsch, 1901
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- fulvigularis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Common Chlorospingus (Argentina) Chlorospingus flavopectus argentinus Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Chlorospingus flavopectus argentinus Hellmayr, 1921
Definitions
- CHLOROSPINGUS
- flavopectus
- argentina / argentinae / argentinus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.
Habitat
Humid montane forest and forest borders, especially mossy, epiphyte-laden forest, tall second growth and bushy clearings and pastures in forested areas. Recorded mostly at 1000–2600 m, locally higher and lower; in N of range c. 400–2300 m, but reported to 3500 m in Mexico; to 3000 m in Guatemala, Venezuela and Bolivia; in Andes generally at higher average elevations than in Middle America, mostly 1000–2300 m in Venezuela, 1000–2700 m in Colombia, 1500–2500 m on E slope and 700–1450 m on W slope in Ecuador, and 1100–2650 m in Peru. In Colombia, race trudis found at 2800 m.
Movement
Resident.
Diet and Foraging
Small berries and fruit, in Costa Rica including fruits of Ericaceae, Melastomataceae and Gesneriaceae; also small arthropods. Of 49 stomachs examined, one contained only vegetable matter and 29 only animal matter, and 19 contained both; contents included beetles (Coleoptera), other insects, seeds, and fruit juice. In pairs when breeding, otherwise in families or groups of up to about ten individuals that are often joined by other understorey species; also, readily joins temporary feeding associations of birds at fruiting trees and shrubs. Active and restless, frequently flicks wings and tail when foraging. Forages alertly from about eye level up to subcanopy, but often fairly low, especially inside forest, where typically hops outwards along branches into leafy terminal sections. Peers, pecks and perch-gleans on bare or mossy substrates, epiphytes and leaves, and squeezes bases of corollas for nectar; occasionally drops to ground or hangs downwards or upside-down to gain access to curled leaves, also flutters after or chases fleeing insects. Gulps small berries and fruit, mashes tough-skinned fruits, or pecks at large ones.
Sounds and Vocal Behavior
Call notes include buzzy “tzit” repeated over and over, longer trilled “ts’i’i’i’i’i’i’t” and “chup”. Dawn songs vary considerably over range: in Costa Rica repeats a piercing “seeek” or “tseer” for minutes on end from high perch, sometimes inserting a twitter; in Venezuela (races jacqueti and venezuelanus) a long, monotonic “chup, chup, chup...”, 1 note per second for up to several minutes; dawn songs of “flavopectus group” (in Colombia) and of cinereocephalus (in Peru) more complex, typically a series of “chit” notes of increasing volume, then an accelerating series of higher-pitched “chid-it” notes and ending with lower-pitched churring “trrrrrrrrrrr” trill as volume diminishes. Dawn songs of S races (e.g. phaeocephalus and hiaticolus) also are complex, and may change from single notes to double notes, accelerate, or include churring trills. In most areas true song appears to be confined mainly to the dawn period. Alarm or aggressive notes include “tuck” or “sreeee”; during foraging often rather vocal, giving variety of sharp notes, e.g. “tsip, tseep”, and a sharp “tsweek” that rushes into a rapid, descending twitter; also a rattling “tsrrrr” and a staccato “cut” in interactions.
Breeding
Season Apr–Jun in Mexico, Mar–Jun in Costa Rica (up to two broods or two attempts), in breeding condition Mar to mid-Jul in W Panama, eight birds in breeding condition Apr–Jun in Colombia, and four in breeding condition in Oct and breeding reported in Nov in S Peru (Puno); in general follows pattern typical of many tropical species, most breeding in first half of year in N part of range, more dispersed or bimodal near equator, and predominantly in latter half of year S of equator. Bulky nest of moss, grass, leaves and rootlets, lined with fine fibres and fragments of vegetation, well hidden on bank at ground level or to 16 m up in moss or epiphytes in tree; if second nesting attempted, new nest built. Clutch normally 2 eggs, infrequently 3 (mainly in N part of range), sometimes only 1 (in S of range), dull white marked with shades of brown, cinnamon and red, sometimes concentrated at large end; incubation by female, period c. 14 days; chicks fed by both adults, nestling period c. 13–14 days.
Conservation Status
Not globally threatened. Common virtually throughout its wide range. Deforestation a threat locally, but this species survives even in bushy second growth and along narrow forest corridors.