Orange-browed Hemispingus

Kleinothraupis calophrys

The Orange-browed Hemispingus (*Kleinothraupis calophrys*) is a strikingly marked yet often elusive tanager native to the Andean cloud forests. Measuring approximately 14-15 cm (5.5-6 inches) in length, it is immediately identifiable by its vivid orange supercilium (eyebrow) which contrasts sharply with a dark loral stripe that extends through the eye. Its upperparts are a muted olive-green, transitioning to a paler, creamy-buff on the underparts, sometimes with a subtle darker wash on the fl...

Habitat

Resides exclusively in humid montane evergreen forests, especially cloud forests and their borders, at high elevations.

Diet

Feeds primarily on insects and other small arthropods, gleaned from foliage and branches, supplemented with some small fruits.

Behavior

This diurnal species is almost invariably found as a key participant in large, often noisy, mixed-species foraging flocks, frequently alongside other tanagers, ovenbirds, and antbirds, as they move actively through the forest understory and mid-story. Foraging involves meticulous gleaning of inse...

Range

The Orange-browed Hemispingus is a non-migratory resident species, endemic to the humid montane forests of the eastern slopes of the Andes in South America. Its distribution spans from southeastern Peru, where it is found primarily in the departments of Cusco and Puno, southward into central Boli...

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Fun Facts

- The Orange-browed Hemispingus was reclassified from the genus *Hemispingus* into *Kleinothraupis* based on modern molecular phylogenetic research, highlighting its unique evolutionary lineage. - Despite its vivid orange brow, it can be surprisingly difficult to spot in the dense, dappled light ...

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