Lesser Greenlet
Hylophilus decurtatus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyVireonidae (Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis)
- GenusHylophilus (Scrub Greenlets)
- SpeciesHylophilus decurtatus (Lesser Greenlet)
About the Lesser Greenlet
The lesser greenlet (Pachysylvia decurtata) is a small passerine bird in the family Vireonidae, the vireos, greenlets, and shrike-babblers. It is found in Mexico, every Central American country, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The lesser greenlet was originally described in 1838 as Sylvicola decurtata. It later was renamed Hylophilus decurtatus and later still moved to its present genus Pachysylvia and its specific epithet returned to decurtata to match the feminine gender of the genus.
The lesser greenlet's further taxonomy is unsettled. The IOC, AviList, and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World assign it these six subspecies: P. d. brevipennis (Giraud Jr, 1851) P. d. dickermani (Parkes, 1991)
P. d. phillipsi (Parkes, 1991) P. d. decurtata (Bonaparte, 1838) P. d. darienensis Griscom, 1927 P. d. minor (Berlepsch & Taczanowski, 1884) However, the Clements taxonomy does not recognize P. d. brevipennis, P. d. dickermani, and P. d. phillipsi but includes them within the nominate P. d. decurtata.
Subspecies P. d. minor was for a time treated as a separate species, the gray-headed greenlet, but regained its present subspecies status because... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Coiba National Park
Scrub Greenlet
Hylophilus flavipes
Golden-fronted Greenlet
Hylophilus aurantiifrons
Yellow-green Vireo
Vireo flavoviridis
Rufous-browed Peppershrike
Cyclarhis gujanensis
Red-eyed Vireo
Vireo olivaceus
Philadelphia Vireo
Vireo philadelphicus
Yellow-throated Vireo
Vireo flavifrons
Lance-tailed Manakin
Chiroxiphia lanceolata
Bananaquit
Coereba flaveola
Barred Antshrike
Thamnophilus doliatus
Crimson-backed Tanager
Ramphocelus dimidiatus
Southern House Wren
Troglodytes musculus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.