Superciliaried Hemispingus - BirdForum Opus

Subspecies urubambae
Photo © by Stanley Jones
San Luis, Cusco Department, Peru, September 2018

Thlypopsis superciliaris

Hemispingus superciliaris

Identification

Bird of the superciliaris-group
Photo © by Michael W
Termes de Papallacta Hot Springs on the eastern slope of the Andes, Ecuador, March 2007

13–14 cm (5-5½ in); A rather variable species.

• Dusky olive head with long and narrow white supercilium
• Olive-green upperparts including tail
• Bright yellow throat and underparts, flanks tinged olive

Variations

• chrysophrys with a yellow (not white) supercilium
• birds of the white-bellied group have grey upperparts and tail and whitish underparts

Sexes similar. Immatures are duller and have less contrasting head pattern.

Distribution

South America: found in the Andes of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
Fairly common to locally common in its range.

Taxonomy

This species was in the past placed in the genus Hemispingus.

Subspecies

The 7 subspecies can be divided in four groups^[1]:

• Yellow-browed Hemispingus / Tachira Hemispingus

• T. s. chrysophrys: Andes of north-western Venezuela (Trujillo, Mérida and Táchira)

• Superciliaris Group - White-browed Hemispingus

• T. s. superciliaris: Eastern Andes of central Colombia (Cundinamarca)
• T. s. nigrifrons: Central Andes of Colombia and Ecuador
• T. s. maculifrons: Andes of extreme south-western Ecuador and north-western Peru

• White-bellied Hemispingus

• T. s. insignis: Highlands of northern Peru (Utcubamba Valley east of Río Marañón)
• T. s. leucogastrus: Temperate Andes of central Peru (Junín)
• T. s. urubambae: Temperate Andes of southern Peru (Cuzco) to western Bolivia (La Paz)

Habitat

Humid forest and forest edges, also in second growth, tall Polylepsis woodland and landslides.
Recorded at 1900 to 3350m.

Behaviour

Diet

Feeds on arthropods, may also take some berries and fruit.
Often seen in mixed-species flocks in pairs or small groups. An active and restless species.

Breeding

Breeding indicated in February and July in Colombia. No other information.

Movements

A resident species.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2011. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 16: Tanagers to New World Blackbirds. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553781
3. Avibase
4. BF Member observations

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Superciliaried Hemispingus. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 10 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Superciliaried_Hemispingus

External Links

Search for photos of Superciliaried Hemispingus in the gallery