The ashy-headed greenlet is a species of bird in the family Vireonidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and heavily degraded former forest.
Region
Amazon Basin and the Guianas
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland tropical regions of northern and central South America, including Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. It inhabits tropical dry forest edges, moist lowland forests, and riverine woodlands, and is also regular in mangrove forests along suitable coasts and estuaries. The species tolerates secondary growth and degraded forest, often along edges and clearings. It is primarily a canopy and midstory forager, moving through dense foliage.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small member of the vireo family (Vireonidae), the ashy-headed greenlet is often overlooked due to its subtle coloration and canopy-dwelling habits. It frequently travels in mixed-species foraging flocks and forages methodically among leaves for prey. Nests are typically neat, hanging cups suspended from forked twigs. Its song is a series of soft whistles and chips that can be easier to detect than the bird itself.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between perches
Social Behavior
Often forages in pairs or small family groups and readily joins mixed-species flocks in the canopy. Builds a suspended cup nest from plant fibers and spider silk, typically hung from a forked twig. Both sexes likely share incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of soft, clear whistles and short phrases repeated at intervals, reminiscent of other vireos. Calls include thin chips and contact notes given while moving through foliage.
Plumage
Olive-green upperparts with a contrasting ashy-gray head; underparts pale yellow to yellowish with a cleaner whitish throat. Wings and tail olive with no strong wingbars; plumage appears smooth and unpatterned overall.
Diet
Primarily consumes small insects and spiders gleaned from leaves and twigs. It occasionally takes small berries and other soft fruits, especially when insect prey is less abundant. Foraging is deliberate, picking prey from the foliage and sometimes hover-gleaning to reach the underside of leaves.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the midstory to canopy of lowland forests, forest edges, and secondary growth. Also uses mangrove canopies and riparian trees along rivers and oxbow lakes.
