Other Scientific Names
Iridophanes pulcherrima [Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)], Tangara pulcherrima [BirdLife International (2004)], Tangara pulcherrima [Stotz et al. (1996)]
Golden-collared Honeycreeper (Iridophanes pulcherrimus) [XC98240]
by Andrew Spencer from Wildsumaco, 5km NW Guagua Sumaco, Napo, Ecuador (call)
Golden-collared Honeycreeper (Iridophanes pulcherrimus) [XC261116]
by Mitch Lysinger from Napo: 'Caba\u00f1as San Isidro', 1-2 km SW Cosanga, Ecuador (call, calls)
Subspecies
Has been placed in a monotypic genus, Chlorophanes, and in Tangara, and near various "honeycreepers" because of bill shape and behaviour. Montane distribution mirrors that of many Tangara and plumage much like that of Azure-shouldered Tanager (Tangara cyanoptera), although bill shape, bill colour and eye colour differ substantially. Molecular-genetic data indicate that it does not form a monophyletic group with other Tangara so far sampled, but is sister-taxon to Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza).
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
aureinucha (Ridgway, 1879) - Colombia (western slope of western Andes from Valle del Cauca) south to north-western Ecuador (Carchi, Esmeraldas and Pichincha).
pulcherrimus (Sclater, 1853) - Colombia (head of Magdalena Valley in Huila, and eastern slope of eastern Andes from Caquetá) southern on eastern slope through Ecuador and Peru (south to southern Cuzco).