Hylophilus semicinereus
The Grey-chested Greenlet, *Hylophilus semicinereus*, is a small, unobtrusive songbird endemic to the Amazon Basin and Guianas, recognized by its distinctive grey head and chest contrasting with an olive-green back. Measuring 12-12.5 cm in length and weighing 10-13 grams, its key field marks include a pale grey iris, dusky wings fringed with olive-green, a pale grey throat, and a whitish lower breast and belly with greenish-yellow flanks. Taxonomically, it belongs to the family Vireonidae, cl...
Found primarily in humid tropical and subtropical lowland forests, including terra firme and várzea, as well as secondary forest and woodland edges, typically at elevations up to 500-800 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of arthropods such as insects and spiders, which they glean from foliage.
Grey-chested Greenlets are diurnal, spending their days actively foraging in the mid to upper canopy and subcanopy layers, occasionally descending lower. They employ a 'gleaning' foraging strategy, meticulously picking insects and spiders from the undersides of leaves and twigs. While often obser...
The Grey-chested Greenlet is a non-migratory resident of the northern and eastern Amazon Basin, extending its range across parts of South America. Its distribution includes southeastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, all three Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana), and extensive regions of...
Least Concern
- Despite its common name, the 'Grey-chested Greenlet' is often more accurately identified by its pale, almost white iris, which contrasts sharply with its grey head. - This species is a classic participant in mixed-species foraging flocks, often acting as a 'nuclear' species around which other b...