| Rufous-naped greenlet | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Vireonidae |
| Genus: | Pachysylvia |
| Species: | P. semibrunnea |
| Binomial name | |
| Pachysylvia semibrunnea (Lafresnaye, 1845) | |
 | |
| Synonyms | |
Hylophilus semi-brunneus | |
The rufous-naped greenlet (Pachysylvia semibrunnea) is a species of bird in the family Vireonidae, the vireos, greenlets, and shrike-babblers. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. [2]
The rufous-naped greenlet was originally described in 1845 as Hylophilus semi-brunneus. [3]
The rufous-naped greenlet is monotypic. [2] In the early twentieth century it was treated as a subspecies of the golden-fronted greenlet (P. aurantiifrons). The two are sister species and form a superspecies. [4]
The rufous-naped greenlet is 12 to 13 cm (4.7 to 5.1 in) long and weighs about 10 to 12.5 g (0.35 to 0.44 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a rich rufous crown, nape, and ear coverts. Their lores, the area around their eyes, and their "moustache" are grizzled grayish white. Their upperparts are olive-green. Their wings' coverts are olive-green with paler edges. Their flight feathers and tail are dusky green with olive-green edges. Their throat is whitish, their breast is yellowish white with a rufous-tinged band on its upper part, and their belly, flanks, vent, and undertail coverts are pale yellowish. They have a dark iris, a pink bill, and leaden blue legs and feet. [5]
The rufous-naped greenlet has a disjunct distribution. It is found in the Serranía del Perijá on the Colombia/Venezuela border and a bit east into Zulia from there. It is found intermittently along all three ranges of the Colombian Andes though mostly in the eastern range. [5] Its range also includes sites in northern Ecuador's Napo Province. [5] [6] The rufous-naped greenlet inhabits the interior and edges of primary and secondary forest in the upper foothill and lower subtropical zones. It also occurs in shade coffee plantations. [5] In elevation it ranges between 450 and 2,000 m (1,500 and 6,600 ft) in Venezuela, between 1,000 and 2,800 m (3,300 and 9,200 ft) in Colombia, and between 900 and 1,400 m (3,000 and 4,600 ft) in Ecuador. [7] [8] [6]
The rufous-naped greenlet is believed to be a year-round resident. [5]
The rufous-naped greenlet's diet has not been fully examined but is known to include insects. It feeds actively from the forest's mid-story to its crown, often hanging upside-down to glean prey from leaves. It usually forages singly, in pairs, or in small family groups and frequently joins mixed-species feeding flocks. It has been observed attending army ant swarms. [5]
The rufous-naped greenlet's breeding season appears to span from February to July. Nothing else is known about the species' breeding biology. [5]
One description of the rufous-naped greenlet's song is "a repeated, fast cheedodoweédidideét". [6] Its call is "a descending series of 3-5 loud, harsh, scolding notes". [5]
The IUCN has assessed the rufous-naped greenlet as being of Least Concern. It has a restricted range; its population size is not known and is believed to be stable. No immediate threats have been identified. [1] It is known from "numerous specimens" in Venezuela, considered "fairly common" in Colombia, and is "uncommon and local" in Ecuador. [7] [8] [6] The rufous-naped greenlet is found in a few protected areas and "has a medium sensitivity to human disturbance". [5]
