Grey-chested Greenlet

Overview

The grey-chested greenlet (Hylophilus semicinereus) is a small passerine bird belonging to the family Vireonidae. It is found across parts of South America, including Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Peru, and Venezuela.

Identification

• Approximately 12 cm long with dull gray-brown legs and a bill featuring a grayish upper mandible and a pinkish lower mandible with a grayish tip.
• Upperparts are greenish with blackish gray wings edged in green, while the tail is dull olive-green with brighter green edges.
• The breast is gray with a greenish yellow tinge, the throat is dull gray, and the chin is whitish gray.
• Song consists of a very high, hurried series of 'wee-wee-wee' calls, often too fast to count.

Habitat

This species inhabits the canopy, edges, and clearings of humid forests, including várzea, permanently flooded forests, and secondary forests, favouring areas with a relatively low canopy. It ranges from sea level up to 400 m in Brazil and 350 m in Venezuela.

Diet

The grey-chested greenlet feeds mostly on small insects, foraging primarily in the outer foliage where it often hangs upside-down to glean prey from leaves. It frequently joins mixed-species feeding flocks.

Did you know?

While the specific details of its breeding biology are unknown, the species is remarkably sedentary, remaining as a year-round resident in its habitat.