Golden-fronted Greenlet

Overview

The golden-fronted greenlet (Pachysylvia aurantiifrons) is a small passerine bird in the family Vireonidae. It is a sedentary species found across parts of Central and South America, currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• 11 to 12 cm long with an average weight of 9.5 g.
• Plumage varies by subspecies but generally features greenish brown upperparts, a yellowish rump, and underparts ranging from whitish buff to grayish yellow, often with an ochre-olive or reddish brown crown.
• Possesses a dusky horn maxilla, pinkish mandible, and grayish brown or plumbeous legs.
• Song is described as a short, quick, semimusical de-wichy-de-whéter, accompanied by chee-vee calls and chattering notes.

Habitat

This species inhabits a variety of tropical landscapes, including deciduous, gallery, and secondary forests, forest edges, scrublands, and gardens. Its range extends from Coclé Province in Panama through Colombia and Venezuela to Trinidad, occurring at elevations from sea level up to 1,900 m.

Diet

The diet consists of insects and spiders, though it is not fully examined. The bird feeds actively at all levels of the forest, often hanging upside-down to glean prey, and frequently forages in pairs, small family groups, or mixed-species flocks.

Did you know?

On Trinidad, the nests of this species are frequently parasitised by the shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis).