Biology:Dusky chlorospingus

From HandWiki
Short description: Species of bird


Dusky chlorospingus
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passerellidae
Genus: Chlorospingus
Species:
C. semifuscus
Binomial name
Chlorospingus semifuscus
Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1873
Range of C. s. semifuscus and C. s. livingstoni (See the taxonomy and distribution sections)

The dusky chlorospingus or dusky bush tanager (Chlorospingus semifuscus) is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.[2]

Taxonomy and systematics

The dusky chlorospingus was formally described in 1873 with its current binomial Chlorospingus semifuscus.[3] From that time and into the twenty-first century the Chlorospingus species were members of the family Thraupidae, the "true" tanagers, though their position within the family were uncertain.[4] Based on studies published in 2002, 2003, and 2007, beginning in 2010 taxonomic systems transferred Chlorospingus to its present sparrow family.[5][6] The Chlorospingus species were originally called "bush tanagers" or "bush-tanagers". Beginning in 2013 systems began changing the English name of the members of the genus to "chlorospingus" because they were no longer considered tanagers.[7][8]

The dusky chlorospingus' further taxonomy is unsettled. Since the middle of the twentieth century the species had been assigned two subspecies, the nominate C. s. semifuscus (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1873) and C. s. livingstoni (Bond, J and Meyer de Schauensee, 1940).[2] A study published in 2021 determined that a population of the common chlorospingus (C. flavopectus) in southwestern Ecuador did not belong to that species but rather to the dusky chlorospingus.[9] The Clements taxonomy accepted that newly-described subspecies C. s. xanthothorax in 2022.[10] The IOC followed suit in 2025 and the initial version of AviList included it that same year.[2][11] However, as of late 2025 BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) had not recognized it.[12] Also in 2025, Clements subdivided the species into three monotypic "groups", calling the nominate the "red-eyed", livingtoni the "northern", and xanthothorax the "El Oro" dusky chlorospinguses.[13]

This article follows the three-subspecies model.

Description

The dusky chlorospingus is 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 17 to 23 g (0.60 to 0.81 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a dark gray crown and face with sometimes a tiny white spot behind the eye. Their nape, upperparts, and tail are dark olive. Their flight feathers are dusky with yellowish olive edges except on the tertials, which are mostly dark olive. Their throat and underparts are mostly brownish gray. Their breast, flanks, and undertail coverts have an olive tinge. Both sexes have a light reddish brown to dark brownish red iris, a blackish bill, and dark gray to legs and feet. Subspecies C. s. livingstoni is darker overall than the nominate. Its head is more smoky gray, its upperparts are more smoky olive, and its underparts have less of a brownish tinge. It has a yellowish white iris.[14] The head and upperparts of C. s. xanthothorax are similar to the nominate's. It has a greenish yellow breast, flanks, and undertail coverts and an orange-red iris.[15][9]

Distribution and habitat

Subspecies C. s. livingstoni of the dusky chlorospingus is the northernmost. It is found on the western slope of Colombia's Western Andes from southern Chocó Department south to Cauca Department in the far southwest. The nominate is found on the Pacific slope of the Andes from Nariño Department in the southwestern corner of Colombia south to west-central Ecuador's Cotopaxi Province.[14][16] C. s. xanthothorax is found in southwestern Ecuador's El Oro and adjacent Loja provinces.[14][9] Note that the map does not include the range of C. s. xanthothorax.

The dusky chlorospingus inhabits wet montane forest in the foothills and subtropical zone where it favors foggy areas heavy with epiphytes.[14][16][17] In elevation it ranges between 1,200 and 2,400 m (3,900 and 7,900 ft) in Colombia and mostly between 1,200 and 2,200 m (3,900 and 7,200 ft) in Ecuador.[16][17]

Behavior

Movement

The dusky chlorospingus is a year-round resident.[14]

Feeding

The dusky chlorospingus feeds on insects, berries, and small fruits. It typically forages in pairs and groups of up to about 20 individuals and regularly, but not exclusively, joins mixed-species feeding flocks. It forages mostly in the understory of the forest's interior but will do so at the forest edge. It takes most food while hopping along branches and stopping to glean while perched.[14][16]

Breeding

The dusky chlorospingus' breeding season has not been fully defined but spans at least from April to June. Loose groups of males sing from ridgetops but nesting apparently occurs further downslope. One described nest was a cup made from grass and dry bamboo leaves embedded in a clump of moss and epiphytes. Both sexes provision nestlings. The clutch size, incubation period, time to fledging, and other details of parental care are not known.[14]

Dickcissel male perched on a metal pole singing, with neck stretched and beak open.

Songs and calls
Listen to the dusky chlorospingus on xeno-canto

Vocalization

The dusky chlorospingus' song is "a series of almost hummingbird-like, high-pitched notes that gradually speed up and gain strength, becoming quite 'spanking' before ending in a dry sputter". It is most often heard at dawn and sometimes in late afternoon.[16] The species' calls are "an extremely high-pitched chip, often repeated, and a thin penetrating trill".[14]

Status

The IUCN follows HBW taxonomy and so has not included C. s. xanthothorax in its assessment of the dusky chlorospingus. The other two subspecies are jointly classified as being of Least Concern. Though their overall range is about 173,000 km2 (67,000 sq mi) the area actually occupied is not known. The combined population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified.[1] The full species is considered fairly common to common and occurs in several protected areas. "Deforestation and forest fragmentation is accelerating throughout its small global range."[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 BirdLife International (2023). "Dusky Chlorospingus Chlorospingus semifuscus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T22722177A238944083.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22722177/238944083. Retrieved 24 April 2026. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds (March 2025). "New World sparrows, bush tanagers". https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/sparrows//. 
  3. ↑ Sclater, Philip Lutley; Salvin, Osbert (1873) (in Latin). Nomenclator avium neotropicalium: sive avium quae in regione neotropica hucusque repertae sunt nomina systematice disposita adjecta sua cuique speciei patria accedunt generum et specierum novarum diagnoses. Sumptibus Auctorum. pp. 157. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40220938. Retrieved April 24, 2026. 
  4. ↑ Check-list of North American Birds (7th ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Ornithologists' Union. 1998. pp. 571. 
  5. ↑ Remsen, J. V. (March 2010). "Proposal (426) Place Chlorospingus in the Emberizidae". South American Classification Committee. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCprop426.htm.  The proposal was accepted in August 2010.
  6. ↑ R. Terry Chesser, Richard C. Banks, F. Keith Barker, Carla Cicero, Jon L. Dunn, Andrew W. Kratter, Irby J. Lovette, Pamela C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen, Jr., James D. Rising, Douglas F. Stotz, and Kevin Winker. "Fifty-second supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds". The Auk 2011, vol. 128:600–613 retrieved October 22, 2025
  7. ↑ Remsen, J. V. (May 2013). "Proposal (579) Change the English names of Chlorospingus species from 'Bush-Tanager' to 'Chlorospingus'". South American Classification Committee. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCprop579.htm.  The proposal was accepted in July 2013.
  8. ↑ R. Terry Chesser, Richard C. Banks, Carla Cicero, Jon L. Dunn, Andrew W. Kratter, Irby J. Lovette, Adolfo G. Navarro-Sigüebzam, Pamela C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen, Jr., James D. Rising, Douglas F. Stotz, and Kevin Winker. "Fifty-fifth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds". The Auk 2014, vol. 131(4) retrieved April 8, 2023
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Sánchez-Nivicela, Manuel (2021). "A taxonomic assessment of Chlorospingus flavopectus phaeocephalus and Chlorospingus semifuscus (Passeriformes: Passerellidae), including the description of a new subspecies". Zootaxa 5057 (2): 151–180. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5057.2.1. https://mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5057.2.1. Retrieved April 24, 2026. 
  10. ↑ Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2022. retrieved November 30, 2022
  11. ↑ AviList Core Team. 2025. AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025. https://doi.org/10.2173/avilist.v2025 retrieved June 11, 2025
  12. ↑ HBW and BirdLife International (2025). Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 10. Available at: https://datazone.birdlife.org/about-our-science/taxonomy#birdlife-s-taxonomic-checklist retrieved October 12, 2025
  13. ↑ Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, M. Smith, and C. L. Wood. 2025. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2025. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ retrieved November 3, 2025
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 Hilty, S. L. (2020). Dusky Chlorospingus (Chlorospingus semifuscus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.dubtan1.01
  15. ↑ Hilty, S. L. (2020). Common Chlorospingus (Chlorospingus flavopectus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.cobtan1.01 retrieved April 26, 2026
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Ridgely, Robert S.; Greenfield, Paul J. (2001). The Birds of Ecuador: Field Guide. II. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. pp. 660. ISBN 978-0-8014-8721-7. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 McMullan, Miles; Donegan, Thomas M.; Quevedo, Alonso (2010). Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia. Bogotá: Fundación ProAves. pp. 209. ISBN 978-0-9827615-0-2. 

Wikidata ☰ Q600662 entry



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Biology:Dusky_chlorospingus&oldid=4523178"