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Greenish Tyrannulet Phyllomyias virescens Scientific name definitions

John W. Fitzpatrick
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2004

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Introduction

Following this species being split into three, with Reiser’s Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias reiseri) and Urich’s Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias urichi) now being recognized as separate species, the Greenish Tyrannulet is now an Atlantic Forest endemic. It is found in humid forest and tall second growth below approximately 1000 m, from southeast Brazil south to southeastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina. The species’ plumage is typical of most Phyllomyias tyrannulets, the Greenish Tyrannulet being mainly olive-green above, with obvious double wing bars, a pale supercilium, and pale yellowish-white underparts. It is usually a relatively common bird, and it frequently joins mixed-species flocks foraging in the canopy and at middle levels.

Field Identification

12 cm; 10–12 g. A bright green tyrannulet, somewhat longer-tailed than its close relatives. Is bright olive above from forehead and orbital area to rump; wings dusky, two wingbars and edges of flight-feathers pale yellowish; tail dusky; throat and lower face whitish, underparts yellow, faintly streaked olive on breast and sides; iris brown, bill small and rounded, brown to blackish, base of lower mandible brownish-white; legs medium to dark grey. Distinguished from similar P. reiseri by slightly larger size, olive ear-coverts, in the hand also by longer wing (male 58–65 mm, female 55–62 mm), longer tail (male 54–64 mm, female 51–62 mm). Sexes alike. Juvenile resembles adult.

Systematics History

Formerly placed in Xanthomyias, along with P. sclateri. Long considered conspecific with P. reiseri and P. urichi, but differences in morphology (plumage pattern, wing and tail proportions), degree of sexual dimorphism, habitat and voice evident; P. sclateri has been suggested to belong in same group. Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

SE Brazil (S Mato Grosso do Sul E to S Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, S to C Rio Grande do Sul), SE Paraguay, and extreme NE Argentina (Misiones, N Corrientes).

Habitat

Humid tropical and upper tropical evergreen forest and edges, also secondary growth; to 1000 m.

Movement

Presumed resident.

Diet and Foraging

Poorly known. Forages at all heights in interior and edges of forest, sometimes within 2 m of ground.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Rapid series of notes, begins with staccato “chk” notes rising rapidly in pitch, then becoming longer sounds that fall and slow slightly at end, “chk-chk-chk-chk-chk-cheee-eeee-eeee-eeee-chu-choo”.

Breeding

Oct in Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul); nest found in Nov in Argentina. Nest purse-shaped, with a side entrance 3 cm wide, made entirely of mosses, suspended from branch within 1 m of ground in small arroyo. Clutch 2 eggs; incubation and fledging periods not recorded. No further information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Not well known; usually uncommon. Numbers may have declined towards S edge of range. Occurs in several national parks and other protected areas in all three countries which it inhabits. Apparently not entirely dependent on undisturbed forest; found also in secondary vegetation and edge habitat.
Distribution of the Greenish Tyrannulet - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Greenish Tyrannulet

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Fitzpatrick, J. W. (2020). Greenish Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias virescens), 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.gretyr1.01
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