Microligea palustris

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Cladus: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Cladus: Telluraves
Cladus: Australaves
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Passeri
Infraordo: Passerida
Superfamilia: Passeroidea

Familia: Phaenicophilidae
Genus: Microligea
Species: Microligea palustris
Name

Microligea palustris (Cory, 1884)

Type locality: Santo Domingo; restricted to Villa River, Dominican Republic.

Synonyms

Ligea palustris (protonym)

References
Primary references

Cory, C.B. 1884. Descriptions of several new Birds from Santo Domingo. The Auk 1(1): 1–5. BHL. Wikisource.Reference page. Original description p. 1 BHL pl. 1 BHL

Additional references

Barker, F. K., Burns, K. J., Klicka, J., Lanyon, S. M., & Lovette, I. J. 2013. Going to extremes: Contrasting rates of diversification in a recent radiation of New World passerine birds. Systematic Biology 62 (2): 298–320. DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/sys094 Full article (PDF)Reference page.
Barker, F.K., Burns, K.J., Klicka, J., Lanyon, S.M. & Lovette, I.J. 2015. New insights into New World biogeography: An integrated view from the phylogeny of blackbirds, cardinals, sparrows, tanagers, warblers, and allies. The Auk 132(2): 333-348. DOI: 10.1642/AUK-14-110.1 Open accessReference page.

Links

IUCN: Microligea palustris (Least Concern)

Vernacular names
Cymraeg: Telor cynffonwyrdd
Deutsch: Graubrust-Waldsänger
English: Green-tailed warbler
Esperanto: Verdavosta parulio
español: reinita coliverde, cigüita de cola verde
suomi: Hispaniolanviherkerttuli
français: Paruline aux yeux rouges
Nederlands: Haïtizanger
svenska: grönstjärtad sångtangara

The green-tailed warbler (Microligea palustris), also known as the green-tailed ground-tanager, is a species of bird of the family Phaenicophilidae, the Hispaniolan tanagers. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.[2]
Taxonomy and systematics

The green-tailed warbler is the only member of genus Microligea, though the white-winged warbler (Xenoligea montana) was originally also placed there. The two species were originally placed in the New World wood warbler family Parulidae, but taxonomists were unsure if they belonged there. DNA evidence published in the early 2010s showed they were not related to other wood warblers, and in 2017, they were moved to the newly created family Phaenicophilidae. The two species in the genus Phaenicophilus were also moved there from the "true" tanager family Thraupidae.[3]

The green-tailed warbler has two subspecies: the nominate M. p. palustris, and M. p. vasta.[2] A poorly-defined population in northwestern Haiti may prove to be a third subspecies.[4]
Description

The green-tailed warbler is 12 to 14.5 cm (4.7 to 5.7 in) and weighs 9.5 to 15.2 g (0.34 to 0.54 oz). The sexes are not particularly dimorphic. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a gray head and nape, pale to dark gray lores, and white arcs above and below the eye. The eye itself is ruby red. Their upperparts are olive-green, and their underparts pale grayish that is whiter on the belly. The subspecies M. p. vasta is overall paler than the nominate and has more white on the underparts.[4]
Distribution and habitat

The nominate subspecies of the green-tailed warbler is found in the highlands of central Hispaniola that span the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, though it is found almost entirely in the latter country. There it inhabits broadleaf and pine montane forest with a dense understory at elevations up to about 2,900 m (9,500 ft). The subspecies M. p. vasta is a disjunct population found in the southwestern Dominican Republic lowlands and Beata Island. There, it inhabits semi-arid scrublands near sea level. There is some discussion that the mainland population belongs either to the nominate or a third subspecies, and that M. p. vasta is limited to Beata.[4]
Behavior
Movement

The green-tailed warbler is a year-round resident throughout its range.[4]
Feeding

The green-tailed warbler forages in vegetation, usually in the undergrowth and thickets. Its diet is mostly arthropods, especially insects. It forages alone, in pairs, and in mixed-species foraging flocks.[4]
Breeding

The green-tailed warbler's breeding season is mainly from May to June in the highlands and begins a bit earlier in the lowlands, though the species is suspected to breed at any time of year. It makes a cup nest of plant material. In the lowlands it is usually placed 1 to 2 m (3 to 7 ft) above ground, sometimes in cacti, and in the highlands can be placed as high as 10 m (30 ft). The clutch size is two to four eggs. Nothing else is known about the species' breeding biology.[4]

Dickcissel male perched on a metal pole singing, with neck stretched and beak open.

Songs and calls
Listen to green-tailed warbler on xeno-canto
Vocalization

The green-tailed warbler makes "[s]hort rasping and squeaking notes" that may accelerate into what is thought to be its song. The song has also been described as "sip sip sip".[4]
Status

The IUCN has assessed the green-tailed warbler as being of Least Concern, though its population size is unknown and believed to be decreasing. The main potential threats are continuing habitat destruction and predation by introduced small Indian mongooses.[1] It is considered locally common.[4]
References

BirdLife International (2018). "Green-tailed Warbler Microligea palustris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22721864A132149079. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22721864A132149079.en. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P., eds. (August 2022). "Caribbean "tanagers", Wrenthrush, Yellow-breasted Chat". IOC World Bird List. v 12.2. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
"Check-list of North and Middle American Birds". American Ornithological Society. August 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.

Curson, J. and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Green-tailed Warbler (Microligea palustris), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.grtwar1.01 retrieved October 10, 2022