Hylophilus amaurocephalus
The Grey-eyed Greenlet (Hylophilus amaurocephalus) is a small, rather nondescript passerine bird endemic to eastern South America, measuring approximately 12.5-13.5 cm in length and weighing between 10 and 14 grams. Its plumage is characterized by olive-green upperparts, a dull white to yellowish-white belly, and flanks often washed with olive, providing effective camouflage within its forested habitat. The most distinctive field mark, giving the species its common name, is its pale, often wh...
This greenlet inhabits humid to semi-humid lowland and foothill forests, favoring edges, secondary growth, clearings, and gallery forests, typically found at elevations below 1000 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, the Grey-eyed Greenlet feeds on a variety of insects, caterpillars, and spiders, which it gleans from foliage and small branches.
The Grey-eyed Greenlet is a diurnal species, spending its days actively foraging within the mid-canopy and understory of its forest home. It employs a meticulous gleaning strategy, carefully plucking insects and spiders from the undersides of leaves and small branches with deliberate movements. D...
The Grey-eyed Greenlet is endemic to eastern South America, with its primary distribution concentrated in Brazil. Its range extends along the Atlantic Forest biome, from the northeastern states of Piauí and Ceará south through Bahia, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. Th...
Least Concern
- Its most distinguishing feature, the pale, almost white eye, is highly unusual among many drab greenlet species, giving it a unique identifier. - This species often acts as a 'nuclear species' in mixed-species foraging flocks, meaning other bird species follow its movements, relying on its fora...