Lemon-chested Greenlet

Overview

The lemon-chested greenlet (Hylophilus thoracicus) is a small bird belonging to the vireo family, Vireonidae. It features a disjunct distribution across various parts of South America, where it is classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• A small bird measuring 10 to 13 cm in length and weighing 11 to 14 g, with identical plumage across sexes.
• The nominate subspecies has an ochraceous olive forehead, dull grayish olive crown, and a wide grayish nape collar, with bright olive upperparts often tinged with yellow.
• Distinctive bright yellow breast contrasting with grayish to grayish white chin and throat, while the remaining underparts are pale creamy buff to whitish.
• Song consists of a very high, rapid series of 10-15 upslurred 'tu-Weéet' notes, accompanied by a rich, whistled 'where-it' call.

Habitat

This species inhabits a wide variety of wooded landscapes, including terra firme and várzea forests, gallery forests, restinga, cloudforest, and even wooded urban areas. It is found across Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, typically residing at elevations from sea level up to 850 m.

Diet

The lemon-chested greenlet feeds on arthropods and small fruits, foraging actively from the mid-story to the canopy of the forest. It often forages singly or in pairs, frequently joins mixed-species feeding flocks, and may hang upside-down to extract food from foliage and flowers.

Did you know?

Taxonomists are divided on this bird's identity, with some authorities, such as BirdLife International, treating the nominate subspecies H. t. thoracicus as a distinct species known as the Rio de Janeiro greenlet, while others classify it as part of the lemon-chested greenlet.