Buff-cheeked Greenlet Pachysylvia muscicapina Scientific name definitions

The Buff-cheeked Greenlet is a widespread bird found across northern and eastern Amazonia, from southern and eastern Venezuela, across the Guianas and northern Brazil, and south to southeast Amazonian Brazil and extreme northeast Bolivia. This is a rather distinctively plumaged greenlet, characterized by its gray rear crown and nape, bright rufous lores and forehead, buffish face, breast- and neck-sides, olive-green upperparts, and whitish posterior underparts. Separate subspecies are recognised north and south of the Amazon, with that found south of the river having brighter green upperparts, a buffier throat and breast, and pure gray forehead. Nonetheless, like other greenlets, because of its canopy-level habits, this species is still most easily detected by voice; the Buff-cheeked Greenlet’s song is a loud, snappily delivered whitchy-ta-whééu, which is repeated frequently. Also in common with other Amazonian greenlets, the Buff-cheeked Greenlet is poorly known in terms of its natural history.

11·5–12 cm; 9·5–13·5 g. Nominate race has dull buffy supercilium, dull buffy-brown side of face, with blackish-grey mottling on ear-coverts; forehead grey-brown, crown and nape clear blue-grey, back and shoulders greenish, becoming brighter on rump; primaries and secondaries dull blackish-grey, broad greenish edgings on outer webs (giving yellowish-green appearance to closed wing); rectrices dull greenish; chin off-white, chest dull greyish-buff, belly dull greyish-white, upper flanks dull yellowish; iris sepia, brown or grey; bill blackish above, dull pinkish below; legs pale pinkish or light grey. Sexes alike. Juvenile apparently undescribed. Race griseifrons is brighter green above than nominate, has side of head and supercilium deeper buffy rufous, forehead pure grey without buffy tinge, throat and breast more buffy.

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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.

Canopy and middle levels of humid forest, both terra firme and várzea; less numerous in tall moist forest.

Probably sedentary.

Recorded food items in Suriname insects (Orthoptera) and spiders (Araneae). Forages in outer foliage, sometimes hanging upside-down. Found in pairs and in small parties; very frequently in mixed flocks, sometimes with other species of greenlet.

Song a loud, snappy "whitchy-ta-whééu", reminiscent of that of a New World warbler (Parulidae), frequently repeated.

Peak singing in Venezuela (Bolívar) Dec–May, presumably indicating breeding activity at that time. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Common to fairly common in parts of its range; common in Venezuela. Easily overlooked.