Order
Passeriformes
Family
Parulidae
Genus
Basileuterus
 
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Version 1.0

This is a historic version of this account.  Current version

SPECIES

Golden-crowned Warbler Basileuterus culicivorus

Justin Phelps, A. M. Contreras-González, Claudia I. Rodríguez-Flores, Carlos A. Soberanes-González, Marîa del Coro Arizmendi, and Alvaro Jaramillo
Version: 1.0 — Published January 20, 2012

Systematics

Geographic Variation

Fourteen subspecies currently are recognized, which, on the basis of plumage, typically are arranged into four allopatric or parapatric groups (e.g., Curson et al. 1994).

culicivorus group ("Stripe-crowned Warbler")

Generally, upperparts olive-gray, and supercilium yellowish or yellow-olive; includes four subspecies in Central America.

brasierii (Giraud 1841) – Gulf slope of Mexico from Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas south to Hidalgo and northern Veracruz. This subspecies is slightly larger than the nominate, more olive above, and brighter yellow below, with narrower black crown stripes.

flavescens Ridgway 1902 – western Mexico in Nayarit and Jalisco. This subspecies resembles brasierri, but has a pale yellow central crown stripe, broader lateral crown stripes, a paler, more yellow supercilium, stronger olive upperparts, and brighter yellow underparts.

culicivorus (Deppe 1830) – eastern and southern Mexico south to northern Costa Rica. See Detailed Description.

godmani Berlepsch 1888 – central Costa Rica south to western Panama. This subspecies is similar to nominate, but is more olive, particularly on head, and has a darker supercilium that is more olive green, contrasting less with the auricular.

cabanisi group ("Cabanis's Warbler")

Generally has gray or bluish gray upperparts, and the supercilium is grayish white. Includes four subspecies in Colombia and in Venezuela.

occultus Zimmer 1949 – Colombia in the western and central Andes (Antioquia south to Cauca) and eastern Andes (Magdalena and Santander). This subspecies is similar to cabanisi (described below), but it has a more obscure crown stripe and darker auriculars.

austerus Zimmer 1949 – Colombia on east slope of eastern Andes (Boyaca, Cundinamarca and western Meta). This subspecies is darker and browner than the others and has a very rufous crown stripe.

indignus Todd 1916 – Santa Marta Mts (northern Colombia) and adjacent Sierra de Perija (on Colombia–Venezuela border). Similar to cabanisi except that its crown stripe is a paler yellow.

cabanisi Berlepsch 1879 – northeastern Colombia and mountains of northwestern Venezuela. This subspecies has a yellowish to rufous or orange crown stripe, a pale gray supercilium, dark eyestripe that is distinct, upperparts that lack olive, underparts washed in olive, and whitish undertail coverts.

auricapillus group ("Golden-crowned Warbler")

Generally olive above, with a grayish white supercilium. Includes five subspecies in South America, with two in northern South America and three in eastern and central South America.

olivascens Chapman 1893 – northeastern Venezuela (Sucre, Monagas and Anzoategui) and Trinidad. This subspecies has a rufous-orange crown stripe, a broad, gray-white supercilium, gray-olive upperparts and a contrastingly pale gray nape.

segrex Zimmer and Phelps 1949 – tepuis of southern Venezuela, western Guyana and northern Brazil. This subspecies is similar to olivascens but with a yellow tinged supercelium, darker auriculars, and upperparts that are darker and greener.

aauricapillus (Swainson 1838) – central and eastern Brazil. This subspecies is similar to olivascens but with more olive upperparts, and limited gray on head and mantle.

viridescens Todd 1913 – eastern Bolivia (Santa Cruz). This subspecies resembles auricapillus but is paler and has a yellowish tinge above.

azarae Zimmer 1949 – Paraguay, northwestern and northeastern Argentina, southern and southeastern Brazil and Uruguay. This subspecies is intermediate between auricapillus and olivascens in the tone of the upperparts.

hypoleucus group ("White-bellied Warbler")

hypoleucus Bonaparte 1850 - occurs in south central Brazil (central Mato Grosso, southern Goiás, and western Minas Gerais to southern Mato Grosso and central São Paulo), southeastern Bolivia, and east central Paraguay. Distinguished from other subspecies by the white, not yellow, underparts.

Subspecies


EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Basileuterus culicivorus [culicivorus Group]


EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Basileuterus culicivorus [cabanisi Group]


EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Basileuterus culicivorus [auricapilla Group]


EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Basileuterus culicivorus hypoleucus

Related Species

Phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence data, from both mitochondrial and nuclear genes, identifies three clades within Basileuterus: Basileuterus lachrymosus (Fan-tailed Warbler), which is basal to all other members of the genus; a rufifrons clade, consisting of Basileuterus rufifrons (Rufous-capped Warbler), Basileuterus melanogenys (Black-cheeked Warbler), Basileuterus ignotus (Pirre Warbler), and Basileuterus belli (Golden-browed Warbler); and a culicivorus clade, consisting of Basileuterus culicivorus, Basileuterus melanotis (Costa Rican Warbler), Basileuterus tacarcunae (Tacarcuna Warbler), Basileuterus tristriatus (Three-striped Warbler), and Basileuterus trifasciatus (Three-banded Warbler). Basileuterus culicivorus is basal to the culicivorus group. A final species, Basileuterus griseiceps Gray-headed Warbler, has not been sampled genetically, and its phylogenetic relationships remain unknown.

A phylogeographic study of genetic structure within Basileuterus culicivorus identified five clades (Vilaça and Santos 2010). These corresponded in part to the groupings suggested by geographic variation in plumage (see Geographic Variation), but with two important differences: samples from western Mexico (subspecies flavescens, included in the widespread culicivorus group) were basal to all other populations sampled; and hypoleucus did not form a distinct clade, but instead was embedded within the auricapilla group. Although hypoleucus previously was classified by many authors as a separate species ("White-bellied Warbler), it is vocally similar to adjacent yellow-bellied subspecies and these two extensively hybridize, especially in southeastern Brazil (Silva 1991, cited by Robbins et al. 1999; Robbins et al. 1999).

Recommended Citation

Phelps, J., A. M. Contreras-González, C. I. Rodríguez-Flores, C. A. Soberanes-González, M. d. C. Arizmendi, and A. Jaramillo (2012). Golden-crowned Warbler (Basileuterus culicivorus), version 1.0. In Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/nb.gcrwar.01