Black-eared Hemispingus (Sphenopsis melanotis)
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Black-eared Hemispingus

Sphenopsis melanotis (Sclater, PL, 1855)

13–14 cmLength16 gWeight

The black-eared hemispingus (Sphenopsis melanotis) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae, the tanagers and allies.

Most records: Ecuador, Colombia, Peru

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Black-eared Hemispingus has been recorded at 94 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Reserva Ecológica Río Blanco – LodgeColombia2,554 records
  2. Cabañas San IsidroEcuador2,444 records
  3. Guango LodgeEcuador2,020 records
More places
  1. Parque Natural ChicaqueColombia843 records
  2. Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge & Manu Paradise LodgePeru493 records
  3. Bellavista Cloud Forest LodgeEcuador472 records
  4. Bellavista – camino a la estación científicaEcuador286 records
  5. Reserva BellavistaEcuador173 records
  6. Yanayacu Biological StationEcuador169 records
  7. Recinto del PensamientoColombia144 records

Countries and regions with the most records

EcuadorColombiaPeruBolivia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black-eared hemispingus (Sphenopsis melanotis) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae, the tanagers and allies. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-eared Hemispingus?

The Black-eared Hemispingus is about 13–14 cm long and weighs around 16 g.

Where does the Black-eared Hemispingus live?

Its breeding range: South America: western Venezuela to west-central Bolivia. It is most often recorded in Ecuador, Colombia and Peru.

Is the Black-eared Hemispingus endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-eared Hemispingus as Least Concern.

What does the Black-eared Hemispingus eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Black-eared Hemispingus in?

It belongs to the family Tanagers & Allies (Thraupidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
13–14 cm
Weight
16 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
69 mm
Tail
64 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
21 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

South America: western Venezuela to west-central Bolivia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Tanagers & Allies Thraupidae
Genus
Sphenopsis

Other birds in the genus Sphenopsis

Oleaginous HemispingusOleaginous HemispingusSphenopsis frontalisWestern HemispingusWestern HemispingusSphenopsis ochraceaPiura HemispingusPiura HemispingusSphenopsis piuraePlushcapPlushcapCatamblyrhynchus diademaCoal-crested FinchCoal-crested FinchCharitospiza eucosmaBrown TanagerBrown TanagerOrchesticus abeilleiYellow-shouldered GrosbeakYellow-shouldered GrosbeakParkerthraustes humeralisHooded TanagerHooded TanagerNemosia pileataCherry-throated TanagerCherry-throated TanagerNemosia roureiBlue-backed TanagerBlue-backed TanagerCyanicterus cyanicterus
Black-eared Hemispingus

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by David Weaver. ↗

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