From Opus

Photo by COLOMBIA Birding
Magdalena Valley, Colombia, March 2012

Lepidopyga goudoti

[edit] Identification

Male mostly green with slightly down-curved bill and a forked tail. Color of throat, lower belly, and lower back and rump differs among subspecies.
Female with white chin and belly, tail less strongly forked.

[edit] Distribution

Colombia and Venezuela. There are seemingly large gaps between some of the subspecies.

[edit] Taxonomy

Four subspecies are recognized:

• L. g. luminosa (N Colombia, coast), throat yellowish emerald to gold, rump+back bronzy, UTC coppery, central tail bronzy
• L. g. goudoti (C Colombia) bronzy lower rump, bluish central tail
• L. g. zuliae (NW Venezuela) smaller overall size, reddish bronzy on central tail and on upper tail coverts
• L. g. phaeochroa (NW Venezuela), white belly, less deep forked tail, greenish central tail, bluish head and throat

[edit] Habitat

Lower elevation dry to semidry forests, gallery forest, semi-open areas and scrubland.

[edit] Behaviour

Most frequently seen alone when it may feed both low and high, but groups may be present at large flowering trees. In latter case, aggression is frequent.

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Birdforum thread discussing this species
3. Restall et al. 2006. Birds of Northern South America. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300124156

[edit] External Links