Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes) [XC553112]
by Sue Riffe from Esta\u00e7\u00e3o Ecol\u00f3gica de Murici, Murici, Alagoas, Brazil (call)
Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes) [XC119113]
by GABRIEL LEITE from Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil (call)
Subspecies
Has been placed in family Coerebidae in the past, although more recently in present family on basis of skull morphology. Molecular-genetic data indicate that this species is embedded within the tanagers, but do not support a close relationship to Dacnis or Cyanerpes. Genetic evidence does indicate close relationship to Golden-collared Honeycreeper (Iridophanes pulcherrimus) (placed variously in Chlorophanes and Tangara). Described taxon Chlorophanes purpurascens, known from one specimen from "Caracas" (Venezuela) and once regarded as a distinct species, now believed to be a hybrid Chlorophanes - unknown taxon. Subspecies guatemalensis doubtfully distinct and is retained pending review.
The following 7 subspecies are recognised:
guatemalensis Sclater, PL, 1861 - Southern Mexico (Gulf-Caribbean slope from Oaxaca and Chiapas) south to eastern Guatemala, Belize and Honduras.
argutus Bangs & Barbour, 1922 - Extreme eastern Honduras, eastern Nicaragua, and on both sides of Costa Rica and Panama south to north-western Colombia (northern Chocó south to Baudó Mts).
exsul von Berlepsch & Taczanowski, 1884 - South-western Colombia (Pacific coast from Valle del Cauca) south to south-western Ecuador.
subtropicalis Todd, 1924 - Colombia (on slopes of all three Andean ranges), Sierra de Perijá, and western base of Andes in Venezuela (Táchira and Mérida).
spiza (Linnaeus, 1758) - Venezuela (coastal cordillera from Carabobo east to Sucre and northern Monagas; eastern base of Andes from Barinas south to Táchira; and area south of R Orinoco), Trinidad, the Guianas, extreme eastern Colombia (R Negro-R Guainía) and northern Brazil (eastern from R Uaupés and, south of R Amazon, from middle R Purús east to Pará and coast of Maranhío).
caerulescens Cassin, 1865 - Colombia (Cauca and Magdalena Valleys, and eastern base of eastern Andes from Arauca) south through eastern Ecuador and eastern Peru to central Bolivia, and eastern in west-central Brazil to northern Mato Grosso.
axillaris Zimmer, JT, 1929 - Coastal eastern and south-eastern Brazil (Pernambuco south to Santa Catarina).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet