Common Chlorospingus (Chlorospingus flavopectus)

Identification & Behavior: ~14.5 cm (6 in). The Common Chlorospingus has yellow-olive upperparts and tail. The head is gray with a pale throat and a black bill. The iris is pale. The underparts are yellow with a pale center of the belly (peruviana) or mostly gray (cynereicephalus). It forages in groups along with mixed species flocks in the canopy and subcanopy of humid montane forest. It is similar to the Ashy-throated Chlorospingus but is distinguished by larger size, pale iris, and lack of a superciliary stripe (in birds on the east slope of the Andes).

Status: The Common Chlorospingus is fairly common in the canopy and subcanopy of montane forests on the east slope of the Andes at elevations ranging between 1200-2600 m. It also occurs in Co, Ec, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Chlorospingo Común.

Sub-species: Common Chlorospingus (Chlorospingus flavopectus phaeocephalus), P. L. Sclater and Salvin, 1877.  Both slopes of Andes in Ecuador.
(C. f. hiaticolus), O’Neill and T. A. Parker, 1981.  Andes of N Peru (S to Pasco).
(C. f. cinereocephalus) Taczanowski, 1874.  Andes of C Peru (Junín, probably also N Cuzco).
(C. f. peruvianus), Carriker, 1933.  Andes of S Peru (Cuzco and Puno).

Meaning of Name: Chlorospingus: Gr. khloros= green and spingos= a form of spinos probably identical to a spiza finch. flavopectus: L. flavus yellow, golden-yellow and pectus, pectoris= breast.

See more of the Family Passerellidae