Elegant Crescentchest (Melanopareia elegans) [XC276179]
by Ross Gallardy from Guayas: Cerro Blanco, Ecuador (song)
Elegant Crescentchest (Melanopareia elegans) [XC592212]
by Bobby Wilcox from Via Antigua a Linderos, Barrio Linderos. Just west of Sendero El Limo. West of Vilcabamba, Loja, Ecuador (call)
Subspecies
Melanopareia elegans (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Elegant Crescentchest (Melanopareia elegans) and Maranon Crescentchest (Melanopareia maranonica) following SACC (2005).
Genus differs considerably from other members of family, though shows certain structural similarities with Teledromas. May form a superspecies with Maranon Crescentchest (Melanopareia maranonica). Vocally very similar to Maranon Crescentchest (Melanopareia maranonica), and sometimes considered conspecific, but has proportionally shorter tail and distinct plumage pattern, and is geographically isolated. Birds from southern Ecuador (Loja) are probably intergrades between nominate subspecies and paucalensis.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
elegans (Lesson, 1844) - Western Ecuador (southern from Manabí and extreme southern Pichincha).
paucalensis (Taczanowski, 1884) - Pacific north-western Peru south to La Libertad.