Hylia prasina
The Green Hylia (Hylia prasina) is a small, enigmatic passerine, measuring approximately 11-12 cm (4.3-4.7 inches) in length and weighing 9-14 grams. Its plumage features olive-green upperparts, often brighter on the rump, contrasting with duller yellow-olive underparts that lighten towards the belly. Key field marks include a prominent dark loral stripe and eye-stripe, sharply demarcated by a pale supercilium, which gives its face a distinctive masked appearance. The species has a relatively...
Found primarily in the dense undergrowth and mid-story of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, ranging from lowland to montane elevations up to 2,000 meters.
Feeds primarily on small insects, such as caterpillars, beetles, and ants, along with other small invertebrates, gleaned from foliage and bark.
The Green Hylia is a generally inconspicuous and skulking bird, often difficult to observe due to its preference for dense vegetation. It is typically diurnal, foraging actively during the day, either solitarily or, more commonly, as a regular member of mixed-species foraging flocks alongside oth...
The Green Hylia has a wide and fragmented distribution across the Guineo-Congolian rainforest belt of Sub-Saharan Africa. Its breeding and year-round range extends from West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria, eastwards through Central Africa. Th...
Least Concern
- For a long time, the Green Hylia was considered a 'taxonomic enigma' due to its uncertain placement among various warbler families. - It is now the sole member of its own monotypic family, Hyliidae, highlighting its distinct evolutionary lineage. - Despite its widespread distribution, it is oft...