Yellow-throated Chlorospingus

Overview

The Chlorospingus flavigularis, commonly known as the yellow-throated chlorospingus or yellow-throated bush tanager, is a passerine bird in the family Passerellidae. Despite its historical classification as a tanager, it is now recognised as a New World sparrow.

Identification

• Adults of the nominate subspecies measure approximately 15 cm in length and feature grayish olive upperparts with a distinct yellow throat and pale gray underparts.
• The nominate subspecies possesses a hazel iris, whereas the marginatus subspecies has a gray iris and brownish gray underparts.
• Subspecies hypophaeus is smaller, measuring 12 to 13 cm, with brownish olive upperparts, an orange-yellow throat, and whitish underparts.
• Vocalisations vary by location, ranging from a high-pitched, alternating series of notes in Colombia and Peru to a monotonous stream of tsit notes on the western slope of Ecuador.

Habitat

This species inhabits montane and lowland evergreen and secondary forests within tropical and lower subtropical zones, with a particular preference for the forest understory and its edges. Its range is disjunct across Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, typically occupying elevations between 240 m and 2,000 m depending on the region.

Diet

The South American subspecies feed on berries, fruit, and insects, foraging in pairs or small groups of up to twelve individuals, often joining mixed-species flocks. They primarily glean food from leaves, branches, moss, and vines while perched in the lower to middle levels of the forest canopy.

Did you know?

Although historically classified as a member of the tanager family Thraupidae, genetic studies led to its transfer to the sparrow family Passerellidae in 2010, and its common name was subsequently changed from 'bush tanager' to 'chlorospingus' in 2013.