Black-throated Flowerpiercer (Diglossa brunneiventris) [XC74842]
by Andrew Spencer from Nazca-Cuzco Highway, 16km west of Lucanas, Ayacucho, Peru (song)
Black-throated Flowerpiercer (Diglossa brunneiventris) [XC723568]
by Nick Athanas from Santa Rosa de Osos, Antioquia, Colombia (call, 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 Flowerpiercer (Diglossa humeralis) and Grey-bellied Flower-piercer (Diglossa carbonaria), and all were previously regarded as conspecific. Known to hybridize, to limited extent, with Grey-bellied Flower-piercer (Diglossa carbonaria) in small area of range overlap in Bolivia (La Paz). Isolated northern subspecies vuilleumieri, two populations of which are separated by c. 1500 km from larger nominate subspecies in south, occurs in very humid zones, whereas nominate mainly in dry to arid zones, and song of at least western population of vuilleumieri (on Páramo Frontino) differs markedly from that of nominate (though specimens of the two are so similar that many, if not most, are racially inseparable). Further taxonomic investigation is required.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
vuilleumieri Graves, GR, 1980 - Antioquia (northern end of western Andes and northern end of central Andes), in Colombia.
brunneiventris Lafresnaye, 1846 - Northern Peru from southern Cajamarca (south of R Marañón) southern on western Andean slope to extreme northern Chile (Tarapacá) and southern on eastern slope to western Bolivia (La Paz).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet