Lesser Greenlet

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Greenlet in Tortuguero National Park?

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Greenlet sighting in Tortuguero National Park, based on 1,515 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: When is the best time to see Lesser Greenlet in Tortuguero National Park?

June has the highest sighting rate for Lesser Greenlet in Tortuguero National Park in our monthly data.

Hylophilus decurtatus

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyVireonidae (Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis)
GenusHylophilus (Scrub Greenlets)
SpeciesHylophilus decurtatus (Lesser Greenlet)

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

at Tortuguero National Park

1,515 Verified sightings at Tortuguero National Park From 2019 to 2026

36,642 Verified sightings across all 50 parks From 2019 to 2026

June Best month highest sighting rate

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 Tortuguero National Park

Vireo olivaceus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Vireo flavifrons

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Vireo philadelphicus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Vireolanius pulchellus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Vireo flavoviridis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Vireo griseus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Psarocolius montezuma

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Pitangus sulphuratus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Quiscalus mexicanus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Tyrannus melancholicus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Myiozetetes similis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Tachycineta albilinea

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~60%
2	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
3	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~60%
4	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~60%
5	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
6	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
7	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	~50%
8	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	~50%
9	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
10	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
11	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
12	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
13	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
14	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
15	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
16	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
17	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
18	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
19	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~30%
20	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
21	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
22	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
23	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
24	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
25	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
26	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
27	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
28	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
29	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
30	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
31	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
32	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
33	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
34	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
35	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
36	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
37	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
38	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
39	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
40	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
41	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
42	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
43	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
44	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
45	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
46	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
47	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
48	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
49	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	Insufficient data
50	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Greenlet in Tortuguero National Park?

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Greenlet sighting in Tortuguero National Park, based on 1,515 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Lesser Greenlet in Tortuguero National Park?

June has the highest sighting rate for Lesser Greenlet in Tortuguero National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Tortuguero National Park

Lesser Greenlet

About the Lesser Greenlet

Recent sightings of Lesser Greenlet in Tortuguero National Park

Closest Relatives at Tortuguero National Park

Red-eyed Vireo

Yellow-throated Vireo

Philadelphia Vireo

Green Shrike-Vireo

Yellow-green Vireo

White-eyed Vireo

Montezuma Oropendola

Great Kiskadee

Great-tailed Grackle

Tropical Kingbird

Social Flycatcher

Mangrove Swallow

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Quick answers