Olive-backed Foliage-gleaner (Automolus infuscatus) [XC539762]
by Cameron Rutt from Cabo Frio camp -- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Brazil (call)
Olive-backed Foliage-gleaner (Automolus infuscatus) [XC219429]
by Niels Krabbe from Amazon Manu Lodge, Madre de Dios, Peru (song)
Subspecies
Automolus infuscatus (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) was split into Automolus infuscatus and Automolus paraensis by Zimmer (2002), on the basis of strong vocal differences and small differences of coloration of the crown and nape, and this treatment was followed by SACC (2005). This treatment is not followed by the BirdLife Taxonomic Working Group, because while the Group accepts the sonagraphic evidence does indeed appear strong, it feels that until further playback experiments are conducted and, especially, data are obtained on the currently unknown vocalisations of purusianus of Olive-backed Foliage-gleaner (Automolus infuscatus), recognition of paraensis as a species is premature.
Forms a superspecies with White-eyed Foliage-gleaner (Automolus leucophthalmus), as suggested by voice, plumage pattern and biogeography. Recent study shows that subspecies paraensis is vocally distinct, and should be treated as a separate species. Subspecies south of R Amazon significantly larger in measurements than those north of it, but none is diagnosable by biometrics alone.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
infuscatus (Sclater, 1856) - South-eastern Colombia (southern from southern Meta and eastern Guainía), eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru and northern Bolivia (western Pando, extreme northern La Paz).
badius Zimmer, JT, 1935 - Eastern Colombia (Vichada), southern Venezuela (western Bolívar, Amazonas) and north-western Brazil (E, north of R Amazon, to lower R Negro).
cervicalis (Sclater, PL, 1889) - Eastern Venezuela (eastern Bolívar), the Guianas and northern Brazil (lower R Negro east to Amapá).
purusianus Todd, 1948 - Western Brazil south of Amazon (eastern to, presumably, left bank of R Madeira).
paraensis Hartert, 1902 - North-central Brazil (from right bank of R Madeira east to Maranhío, south to Rondônia and northern Mato Grosso). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Para Foliage-gleaner (Automolus paraensis).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet