Lesser Greenlet

Overview

The lesser greenlet (Pachysylvia decurtata) is a small passerine bird belonging to the family Vireonidae. It is a year-round resident found across tropical regions of Mexico, Central America, and northwestern South America. The species is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• Measures 9.4 to 10.2 cm in length and weighs between 6.6 and 10.3 g.
• Features a gray-blue crown and upper face with grayish lores, a whitish eye-ring, and a pale stripe above the lores.
• Displays olive-green upperparts that lighten on the rump, with dark grayish wings possessing bright greenish outer webs.
• Song consists of a pleasant, quiet series of 2–3 phrases continuously repeated, shifting motifs such as chi-chi-cher cher cher.

Habitat

This species inhabits a variety of tropical landscapes, including evergreen and deciduous forests, gallery forest, and secondary growth. Its range extends from eastern Mexico through Central America to the Pacific slope of Colombia, Ecuador, and far northwestern Peru. Elevation limits vary by region, reaching up to 1,500 m in Costa Rica and 1,100 m in Ecuador.

Diet

The lesser greenlet feeds primarily on invertebrates, supplemented by seeds. It forages in pairs, family groups, or mixed-species flocks, often hunting actively in the forest canopy but sometimes at lower levels. It captures prey from live foliage or dead leaf clusters and occasionally hangs upside-down to feed.

Did you know?

The lesser greenlet constructs a deep cup-shaped nest from dead leaves, bamboo strips, and grass, which is attached to a branch fork using spider web.