Nombre en español: Elenia Amazonica

Nombre en inglés: Amazonian Elaenia

Nombre científico: Myiopagis cinerea

Familia: Tyrannidae

El fiofío gris amazónico (Myiopagis cinerea),​ es una especie de ave paseriforme de la familia Tyrannidae perteneciente al género Myiopagis, anteriormente considerada una subespecie de Myiopagis caniceps. Es nativo de la cuenca del Amazonas en América del Sur.

Distribución y hábitat

Se distribuye desde el este de Colombia hacia el este a través del sur de Venezuela (Bolívar, Amazonas), hasta el suroeste de Guyana y la Guayana Francesa, hacia el sur por el este de Ecuador, el este de Perú, el oeste de la región amazónica brasileña, hasta el norte de Bolivia. Esta especie es considerada poco común en su hábitat natural: las selvas húmedas de tierras bajas y sus bordes, tanto de terra firme como de várzea, hasta los 1200 m de altitud.

Sistemática

Descripción original

La especie M. cinerea fue descrita originalmente por el ornitólogo austríaco August von Pelzeln en el año 1868, bajo el nombre científico de: Elainea (error) cinerea. Su localidad tipo es: «Marabitanas, Río Negro, Brasil.»​

Etimología

El nombre genérico femenino «Myiopagis» se compone de las palabras del griego «muia, muias» que significa ‘mosca’, y «pagis» que significa ‘atrapar’; y el nombre de la especie «cinerea», proviene del latín «cinereus» que significa ‘de color gris ceniciento’.​

Taxonomía

La presente especie era tratada como conespecífica con Myiopagis caniceps; pero fue separada como especie plena, con base en diferencias morfológicas y de vocalización; lo que fue seguido por las principales clasificaciones. Las principales diferencias morfológicas apuntadas para justificar la separación son: las partes superiores del macho gris azulado y no gris oliváceo; los bordes de las alas más blancos y más anchos; el dorso y manto de la hembra verde más brillante; alas y cola más cortas; y, pico más largo; el canto con una terminación en ritmo más rápido y mayor cantidad de notas. Existe una posible zona de hibridación en el norte de Bolivia y áreas adyacentes de Brasil, donde los ejemplares parecen mostrar una cierta afinidad con caniceps. Es monotípica.

​Amazonian elaenia

The Amazonian elaenia or Amazonian gray elaenia (Myiopagis cinerea) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is found in Amazonia from eastern Colombia and southern Venezuela, to eastern Ecuador, northeastern Peru, and northwestern Brazil. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

The now-monotypic Amazonian Elaenia was, until recently, considered to be a subspecies of Gray-headed Elaenia, Myiopagis caniceps. Amazonian Elaenia ranges from eastern Colombia through southern Venezuela to southwest Guyana and French Guiana. Southward its range extends through eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, and Amazonian Brazil, to northern Bolivia. A possible hybrid zone has been suggested between Gray-headed Elaenia and Amazonian Elaenia in northern Bolivia and adjacent Brazil, but the validity of this is unexplored. Like its formerly conspecific relatives, Amazonian Elaeniais a sexually dimorphic elaenia, almost crestless, with a small, often-concealed coronal patch and a short, rounded bill. Plumage-wise, it is very similar to Gray-headed Elaenia, but differs in its blue-gray versus olive-gray upperparts in males, broader and whiter wing edgings, and brighter green mantle and back in females. All aspects of its behavior, reproduction, diet, and natural history are poorly studied, though there are no obvious differences from the (perhaps) better-known Gray-headed Elaenia.

Elainea cinerea von Pelzeln, 1868, Zur Ornithologie Brasiliens I: 180. The type locality is given as «Marabitanas» in Rio Negro, Brazil. Myiopagis cinerea is usually considered conspecific with Gray-headed Elaenia (Myiopagis caniceps) and Choco Elaenia (Myiopagis parambae), but the three are split on the basis of consistent morphological and plumage differences and relatively robust genetic data. In their assessment of the species complex, del Hoyo and Collar, using the Tobias et al. criteria, from which the numbers in brackets are derived, found Myiopagis parambae differed in its white versus yellow crown patch; slightly smaller size but notably smaller bill. Myiopagis cinerea was found to differ in its blue-gray versus olive-gray upperparts in male; broader and whiter wing edging; brighter green mantle and back in female; shorter wings and tail; longer bill; and song with fast concluding pace and greater number of notes. In addition to these morphological and vocal differences, genetic data shows Myiopagis caniceps (Gray Elaenia sensu lato) is paraphyletic, with Foothill Elaenia (Myiopagis olallai) embedded within the group.A possible hybrid zone has been suggested between Myiopagis caniceps and Myiopagis cinerea in northern Bolivia and adjacent Brazil, but this has not been well investigated.

Subspecies

Monotypic

Related Species

Myiopagis cinerea appears to be sister to a clade of flycatchers that includes the formerly conspecific Gray-headed Elaenia (Myiopagis caniceps), Choco Elaenia (Myiopagis parambae), as well as Foothill Elaenia (Myiopagis olallai).

Nomenclature

Also referred to as Amazonian Gray Elaenia.

Distribution

Eastern Colombia, eastward through southern Venezuela in Bolívar and Amazonas to southwest Guyana and French Guiana, and southward through eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, and Amazonian Brazil to northern Bolivia.

Habitat

Tropical lowland evergreen forest and borders of humid forest, both terra firme and várzea. It is associated with primary and secondary forests, including young secondary growth (<10 years). Found below 950 m in southern Venezuela, and below 700 m in eastern Peru, with a single record from 1,200 m in northwestern Venezuela (see Movements and Migration: Migration Overview).

Migration Overview

With respect to long distance migration, a possible migrant has been recorded in extreme northwestern Venezuela (Zulia), and the species may only be a winter resident in Bolivia. Austral migrants, possibly either Amazonian Elaenia or Gray-headed Elaenia (Myiopagis caniceps), have been speculated to reach southern Venezuela and eastern Peru.

Feeding

Microhabitat for Foraging

Normally forages high above ground in treetops and outer canopy foliage, and rarely comes low.

Food Capture and Consumption

Among the foraging maneuvers recorded for the species, it uses: perch-gleans and hover-gleans among foliage and twigs, hover-glean in high outer canopy foliage, glean in foliage, sally-gleaning insects from leaves.

Diet

Major Food Items

Presumably insects and small fruits, as other former conspecifics.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

As in many other South American Myiopagis elaenia species, has a relatively poorly studied repertoire. Vocal differences in the «Gray Elaenia» complex has been used to support the recent split of this species from Choco and Gray-headed Elaenias, but some uncertainty remains as to the exact boundaries between this species and Gray-headed Elaenia in the southern Amazon. The Vocal Array, below, applies to both Amazonian and Gray-headed Elaenias, and will be split out in a future update.

Fuentes: Wikipedia/eBird/xeno-canto