Chlorospingus pileatus
The Sooty-capped Chlorospingus is a petite and strikingly marked passerine, measuring around 12.5-13.5 cm (5 inches) in length and weighing 16-20 grams. Its most distinctive feature is a dark sooty-black cap that contrasts sharply with a bright white supercilium extending from the lores to behind the eye, often framed by a blackish patch. The upperparts are a vibrant olive-green, transitioning to paler olive-green on the flanks and dirty white to grayish-white on the underparts, sometimes wit...
Resident in montane evergreen and cloud forests, frequently found along forest edges and in mature secondary growth, primarily at elevations between 1,800 and 3,000 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of arthropods (insects, spiders), supplemented by small berries and fruits, gleaned from foliage.
Sooty-capped Chlorospingus are diurnal and highly active, often forming a core component of mixed-species foraging flocks outside the breeding season, moving through the understory and mid-story with other small passerines. Their foraging strategy involves actively gleaning insects, such as cater...
The Sooty-capped Chlorospingus is a resident species found exclusively in the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama. Its distribution forms a continuous band through the major mountain ranges of Costa Rica, including the Cordillera de Tilarán, Cordillera Central, and the extensive Cordillera...
Least Concern
- Its genus, *Chlorospingus*, means 'green finch', a nod to its often greenish plumage and conical bill. - This species was once classified as a tanager but is now believed to be more closely related to New World sparrows, showcasing the dynamic nature of avian taxonomy. - Sooty-capped Chlorospin...