White-throated Tyrannulet Mecocerculus leucophrys Scientific name definitions

The White-throated Tyrannulet is one the quintissential birds of elfin forest and upper montane evergreen forest in the Andes: pairs or small bands of this flycatcher are a regular member of mixed-species flocks, from the coast ranges of Venezuela all the way south to northwestern Argentina. This species could have been named the "Puffy-throated Tyrannulet:" not only is the throat conspicuously white, but it also often has a puffed-out appearance.

11–14 cm; 8–11 g (roraimae) (1 Lentino, M., L. Pérez, G. Barrowclough, and P. Sweet (1998). Notas sobre las aves de la cima del Auyantepuy, Parque Nacional Canaima, estado Bolívar, Venezuela. Acta Terramaris 11:1–12. Close ). Nominate race is medium olive-grey above, darker on crown; pure white lores and thin supercilium, dusky face, auriculars with some white feathers; wings brownish black, two conspicuous broad wing­bars medium to dark cinnamon-buff, edges of flight-feathers (except dark basal band) and tips of tertials cinnamon-buff to yellowish buff; tail dusky brown; throat white, extending to behind auriculars, grey breastband narrow centrally and broad laterally (creating “vest”), rest of underparts medium yellow; iris dark brown; bill long and black; legs black. Sexes alike. Juvenile not described. Race setophagoides is larger than nominate, more brownish grey above, wingbars paler cinammon to creamy buff, belly paler, creamy yellow; notatus is like previous but larger, tail longer, upperparts more brownish, wingbars and edges of remiges rich cinnamon-buff, breastband slightly browner; nigriceps is much smaller, upperparts strongly tinged olive, crown almost same colour as back, wingbars and edges of remiges nearly white; roraimae is also small, much darker above, especially on crown, wingbars more ochraceous; parui differs from previous in having upperparts darker brownish, less greyish olive; chapmani has belly richer yellow than last, distinct olive breastband; rufomarginatus is significantly warmer, richer brown above, dark sepia-brown crown, wingbars and edges of remiges rich rufous, breastband and upper flanks washed warm brown; brunneomarginatus resembles previous, but wingbars and edges of remiges slightly paler rufous, belly much brighter yellow (as yellow as nominate); pallidior is paler, more greyish brown, less olive throughout.

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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.