Family Tanagers (Thraupidae)

Least Concern

Oleaginous Hemispingus (Sphenopsis frontalis)

Taxonomy

French: Tangara ocré German: Olivrücken-Finkentangare Spanish: Hemispingo oleaginoso

Taxonomy:

H[ylophilus]. frontalis

Tschudi

, 1844,

east slope of Andes, Peru

Has been suggested that race ignobilis might merit elevation to species rank, although in reality all four Venezuelan races differ fairly clearly from nominate, with variation possibly clinal, those farthest E (in NE Venezuela, hence farthest from Andes) differing the most. Review warranted. Five subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution

S. f. flavidorsalis (Phelps, Sr & Phelps, Jr, 1953) – Sierra de Perijá, in NW Venezuela (probably also on Colombian side).

S. f. hanieli (Hellmayr & Seilern, 1914) – coastal range in N Venezuela (Aragua, Vargas, Distrito Federal and Miranda).

S. f. iterata (Chapman, 1925) – mountains of NE Venezuela (Sucre and Monagas).

S. f. ignobilis P. L. Sclater, 1862 – Andes of W Venezuela from Lara S to N Táchira.

S. f. frontalis (Tschudi, 1844) – Colombia (W Andes of Antioquia, including E slope near Jardín, S very locally to Cauca; C & E Andes, including entire E slope of E range, patchily S of Cundinamarca), and Ecuador (E slope and locally in NW) and Peru S to C Cuzco.

Descriptive notes

14 cm; 14–20 g. Dingy, dull hemispingus with relatively slender bill. Nominate race has long, narrow, weakly indicated yellowish supercilium (most obvious in front of... read more

Voice

Song, by pair, trio or quartet (occasionally quintet) of foraging birds in early morning, more or... read more

Habitat

Mostly interior of humid montane forest, especially in thicker vegetation, vine tangles and dense... read more

Food and feeding

Arthropods. Forages in pairs, in family parties and in compact groups of c. 4–8 individuals, accompanying (sometimes as dominant... read more

Breeding

Seven breeding-condition birds Jun–Nov in NW Venezuela (Perijá Mts) and N part of E Andes in Colombia; juvenile in Apr in C... read more

Movements

Resident.

Status and conservation

Not globally threatened. Fairly common throughout range. Found in numerous protected sites in much of range, although increasing human settlement and deforestation may place... read more

Bibliography

Public comments

Scientific classification

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Thraupidae

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In past, included in a much broader Emberizidae. Probably sister to Cardinalidae, with these two perhaps sister to Mitrospingidae#R #R #R #R. Family limits and internal structure extensively revised in recent years on basis of numerous genetic studies#R #R #R #R #R #R. These have led to subdivision into 15 subfamilies, as well as numerous other notable changes (as compared to HBW) including: relocation herein of Parkerthraustes and Saltator from Cardinalidae, and of Charitospiza, Coryphaspiza, Embernagra, Emberizoides, Incaspiza, Porphyrospiza, Tiaris, Euneornis, Loxipasser, Loxigilla, Melanospiza, Certhidea, Platyspiza, Pinaroloxias, Geospiza, Volatinia, Coryphospingus, Rhodospingus, Sporophila, Piezorina, Xenospingus, Poospiza, Donacospiza, Sicalis, Phrygilus, Nesospiza, Rowettia, Melanodera, Haplospiza, Acanthidops, Idiopsar, Catamenia, Lophospingus, Diuca, Gubernatrix and Paroaria from Emberizidae (=Passerellidae); and also removal of Chlorophonia and Euphonia to Fringillidae, of Rhodinocichla to Rhodinocichlidae, of Chlorospingus to Passerellidae, of Phaenicophilus to Phaenicophilidae, of Spindalis to Spindalidae, of Nesospingus to Nesospingidae, of Calyptophilus to Calyptophilidae, of Lamprospiza, Mitrospingus and Orthogonys to Mitrospingidae, and of Habia, Chlorothraupis and Piranga to Cardinalidae. Generic limits within family also extensively revised, and associated sequence of species followed herein#R.

Subfamily: Poospizinae

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Newly defined subfamily dubbed “warbler tanagers” partly because some members have well-developed songs and partly because some are thin-billed and resemble Basileuterus (Parulidae); composed of two formerly large genera, Poospiza and Hemispingus, now broken up, plus otherwise mostly monotypic genera (some resurrected or newly erected)#R; genera Poospiza, Xenospingus, Piezorina, Urothraupis and Donacospiza were previously assigned to Emberizidae, Cnemoscopus sometimes in past to Parulidae.

Genus: Sphenopsis P. L. Sclater, 1862

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Resurrected to cater for a small clade (“ochraceous birds”) well separated within Poospizinae#R #R.

See full taxonomic structure and notes