Phaenicophilus poliocephalus
The Grey-crowned Palm-tanager (Phaenicophilus poliocephalus) is a strikingly marked passerine endemic to the island of Hispaniola. Measuring approximately 17-18 cm (6.7-7.1 inches) in length and weighing around 24-36 grams (0.8-1.3 ounces), it exhibits a distinctive plumage. Key identification features include a slate-grey crown, contrasting with a vibrant olive-green back and wings, and clean white underparts. A prominent black mask extends from the lores through the eye to the auriculars, p...
This species inhabits a variety of forested and semi-arid landscapes across Hispaniola, from sea level up to 2,000 meters (occasionally 2,500 meters). It shows a preference for dense undergrowth within dry forests, pine forests, evergreen forests, and even shaded coffee plantations.
The Grey-crowned Palm-tanager's diet primarily consists of arthropods, including insects such as caterpillars, beetles, and ants, supplemented with various small fruits and berries. They mostly forage by gleaning from foliage.
Grey-crowned Palm-tanagers are active foragers, typically seen moving deliberately through the dense foliage of trees and shrubs during the day, rarely descending to the ground. They employ a 'gleaning' foraging strategy, picking insects and small fruits directly from leaves and branches. Outside...
The Grey-crowned Palm-tanager is strictly endemic to the island of Hispaniola, which comprises the nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Its distribution spans both countries, though it is now more fragmented and localized, especially in Haiti where deforestation is more severe. It occurs ...
Vulnerable
- Endemic to Hispaniola, meaning it is found nowhere else in the world. - It belongs to the unique Phaenicophilidae family, a group of Caribbean tanagers often considered distinct from continental tanagers. - Despite its name, genetic studies suggest it is not a "true" tanager (Thraupidae) but pa...