Common Chlorospingus Chlorospingus flavopectus Scientific name definitions

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.

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.

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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.

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.

Resident.

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.

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.

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.

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.