Olive-crowned Crescentchest

Overview

The olive-crowned crescentchest (Melanopareia maximiliani) is a small passerine bird in the family Melanopareiidae, native to parts of South America. It has been assessed by the IUCN as a species of Least Concern.

Identification

• Length of approximately 15 cm with males weighing between 17.1 and 18.0 g.
• Plumage features an olive-brown crown and upperparts, a deep buff throat, and ochraceous chest and belly.
• A narrow buff supercilium sits above a black mask, with a black crescent and chestnut band separating the throat and chest.
• Subspecies vary in paleness, with M. m. pallida showing a cinnamon throat and a lighter black facial mask.

Habitat

The species is found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay, typically inhabiting dry scrub and grassy areas with small bushes, though the M. m. pallida subspecies also frequents sawgrass in the Chaco Basin. Elevation ranges mostly from 1,700 to 2,950 m, but can be as low as 1,200 m in Argentina.

Diet

The bird forages alone or in pairs by hopping through dense cover on or near the ground, but its specific diet has not been recorded.

Did you know?

The song of the M. m. pallida subspecies is notably faster than that of other subspecies, a difference that has led to suggestions that it may be a separate species.