Other Names (World)
Black Flowerpiercer, Black Flower-piercer, Black Flowerpecker, All-black Flowerpiercer (aterrima), All-black Flowerpecker (aterrima), Santa Marta Flowerpiercer (nocticolor)
Black Flowerpiercer (Diglossa humeralis) [XC129219]
by Oscar H. Mar\u00edn-G\u00f3mez from Sons\u00f3n, Antioquia, Vereda San Francisco, Cerro de las Palomas, P\u00e1ramo de Sons\u00f3n, Colombia (call, contact calls)
Black Flowerpiercer (Diglossa humeralis) [XC861491]
by Todd Mark from Itchimbia (near Quito), Metropolitan District of Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador (song)
Subspecies
Genus has sometimes been placed in Coerebidae or Parulidae or even, because of an apparent close relationship to Acanthidops, in Emberizidae. Molecular phylogenies indicate that it is most closely related to Xenodacnis and to Acanthidops, Haplospiza and Catamenia (the last three genera currently placed in Emberizidae), and that all clearly belong in present family. Members of this clade may also be closely related to the Oreomanes/Conirostrum clade. Forms a monophyletic group with Merida Flowerpiercer (Diglossa gloriosa), Black-throated Flowerpiercer (Diglossa brunneiventris) and Grey-bellied Flowerpiercer (Diglossa carbonaria), and all were previously regarded as conspecific.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
nocticolor Bangs, 1898 - Santa Marta Mts, in northern Colombia, and Perijá Mts, on Colombia-Venezuela border.
humeralis (Fraser, 1840) - South-western Venezuela (southern Táchira south of the Táchira gap) and adjacent eastern Andes of Colombia (from Norte de Santander south to Cundinamarca, probably to Nariño).
aterrima Lafresnaye, 1846 - Andes of Colombia (southern from northern Antioquia in central range, from Cerro Munchique, in Cauca, in western range), Ecuador and northern Peru (south to Marañón Valley).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet