Nombre en español: Verderón Pechigrís

Nombre en inglés: Gray-chested Greenlet

Nombre científico: Hylophilus semicinereus

Familia: Vireonidae

El verdillo pechigrís​ (Hylophilus semicinereus), también denominado verderón pechigrís (en Colombia), verdillo de pecho gris (en Perú), verderón cabeza verde (en Venezuela) o vireillo de pecho gris,​ es una especie de ave paseriforme de la familia Vireonidae perteneciente al género Hylophilus. Es nativo de la región amazónica de América del Sur.

Vireo pequeño con la espalda y la frente oliva que contrastan con las partes inferiores pálidas. Nota los ojos blancos. Habita en los niveles superiores del bosque secundario, bosques húmedos y bosques inundados estacionalmente, donde a menudo acompaña bandadas de especies mixtas. Canta una serie rápida de notas «uii-uii-uii», repetidas continuamente. El similar Lemon-chested Greenlet (Hylophilus thoracicus) tiene una banda amarilla en el pecho.

Distribución y hábitat

Se distribuye por el sur de Venezuela, este de la Guayana francesa, norte y noroeste de Brasil, posiblemente en el este de Colombia, noreste de Perú y extremo noreste de Bolivia.​

Es bastante común en su hábitat preferencial de canopia y bordes de sevas húmedas hasta los 400 msnm de altitud.​

Subespecies

Según la clasificación del Congreso Ornitológico Internacional (IOC) (Versión 6.2, 2016)​ y Clements Checklist v.2015,​ se reconocen 3 subespecies, con su correspondiente distribución geográfica:​

• Hylophilus semicinereus viridiceps (Todd, 1929) – sur de Venezuela (Amazonas y Bolívar), este de la Guayana francesa, y norte de Brasil al sur hasta el río Solimões y río Amazonas (posiblemente también hasta Borba, en el bajo río Madeira), probablemente también en el este de Colombia (este de Vichada y este de Guainía).
• Hylophilus semicinereus juruanus Gyldenstolpe, 1941 – noroeste de Brasil al sur del río Solimões (región de los altos ríos Juruá y Purús) y noreste de Perú.
• Hylophilus semicinereus semicinereus Sclater & Salvin, 1867 – norte de Brasil al sur del bajo río Amazonas (desde Pará y Maranhão, posiblemente desde el río Madeira, hacia el sur hasta el norte de Mato Grosso) y extremo noreste de Bolivia.

Grey-chested greenlet

The grey-chested greenlet (Hylophilus semicinereus) is a species of bird in the family Vireonidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.

The Gray-chested Greenlet is a widespread and reasonably common inhabitant of Amazonian forests, from southern Venezuela and eastern Colombia, to northeast Bolivia and southern Amazonian Brazil. There is also a single, seemingly anomalous, record from central Colombia, at the eastern base of the Andes. In terms of the species’ elevational range, the Gray-chested Greenlet has bee found from sea level to approximately 800 m. This greenlet is principally gray and green, with an olive-colored cap and upperparts, and gray feathering over the face, throat and breast, becoming whiter over the posterior underparts. It is usually found in the canopy of both terra firme and seasonally flooded forests, and is thus most easily detected by virtue of its vocalizations; the song consists of a slightly downslurred peer note uttered up to 20 times in sequence at a rate of about one per second. Very little is known of the species’ life history to date, and its breeding biology is as yet completely unknown.

Field Identification

12 cm; one bird 13 g. Nominate race has forehead greyish-green, becoming duller on rear of head; lores and side of face buffy, more grey-buff on ear-coverts; upperparts greenish; primaries and secondaries blackish-grey, edged greenish (giving greenish appearance to closed wing), inner web of tertials edged yellow; rectrices dull olive-green, edged brighter green; chin, whitish-grey, throat dull grey, chest grey with strong greenish-yellow tinge, brighter greenish-yellow at side; belly dull buff-white, more buff-grey at side, lower belly grey-white, faintly tinged yellow; carpal region and underwing-coverts bright yellow; iris whitish to grey; bill greyish above and at tip, dusky pinkish below and on cutting edges; legs dull grey-brown. Sexes alike. Juvenile undescribed. Race viridiceps has less grey on crown than nominate, paler and more whitish on underparts, with greenish wash on breast paler and less extensive; juruanus has head and nape strongly overlaid with olive-brown, is generally paler above than nominate, with throat and breast paler, less pale yellow on side of breast, and underwing-coverts and inner edges of remiges paler yellow.

Habitat

Canopy of second-growth woodland, humid forest, scrubby várzea, and permanently flooded areas, especially where canopy lower; from near sea-level to 400 m.

Movement

Probably sedentary.

Diet and Foraging

Food small insects. Forages in canopy and vines, staying mostly in outer foliage, often hanging upside-down to glean from leaves. Often in mixed flocks.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song a slightly downslurred «peer» note repeated at rate of about one per second, 20 times or more in a sequence; similar to that of H. flavipes, but weaker and faster.

Breeding

No information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on BirdlifeLC Least Concern

Not globally threatened. Uncommon and local in Venezuela; fairly common to common in other parts of range. Common but localized in Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, in Peru. Occurs in several other protected areas.

Fuentes: Wikipedia/eBird/xeno-canto