Piprites griseiceps
The Grey-headed Piprites (*Piprites griseiceps*) is a small, enigmatic suboscine passerine bird, measuring approximately 12-13 cm (4.7-5.1 in) in length and weighing around 15-18 grams (0.5-0.6 oz). Its striking plumage features a slate-grey head and nape that sharply contrast with vivid bright yellow underparts, an olive-green back, and dark wings adorned with two prominent white wing-bars. These distinct white wing-bars against the dark wings are a key field mark for identification, alongsi...
Found primarily in humid subtropical and tropical moist lowland and montane forests, this species typically inhabits the mid-story and understory, often along forest edges and clearings, at elevations between 600-1500 meters (2000-5000 feet).
Their diet consists mainly of insects, including caterpillars, beetles, and spiders, which they glean from foliage, supplemented occasionally by small fruits or berries.
Grey-headed Piprites are diurnal birds, typically active during daylight hours, but their secretive nature means they are more often heard than seen. They forage primarily by gleaning insects from the undersides of leaves and branches in the forest mid-story and canopy, occasionally making short ...
The Grey-headed Piprites is a resident species primarily found in the humid montane and foothill forests of Central America. Its core distribution lies along the Caribbean slopes and central highlands of Costa Rica and extending into western Panama. Less common and more localized populations can ...
Least Concern
- Despite its common name, the Grey-headed Piprites is not closely related to true pipits (family Motacillidae), nor to the Tyrant-flycatchers it was once thought to be. - It is one of only three species in the entire Pipritidae family, making it part of a very unique and ancient avian lineage. -...