A reappraisal of the distribution of the Yellow-headed Manakin (Chloropipo flavicapilla) in Colombia and Ecuador

Abstract

The Yellow-headed Manakin (Chloropipo flavicapilla) is a rare and threatened species that is thought to occur between the Andes of Colombia and northeastern Ecuador. However, only three records support the presence of C. flavicapilla in Ecuador: a 19th-century specimen from Hacienda Mapoto, Tungurahua province, and two undocumented field observations from the early 1990s — one from Cordillera de Guacamayos and one from Volcán Sumaco. I investigated these records and found that the Mapoto specimen is a Green Manakin (Cryptopipo holochlora) deposited in the Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences (MIZ 22050). The correct specimen identity was reported by Hellmayr (1929), but his notes were overlooked. The two undocumented sightings occurred in well-surveyed areas populated with eBird hotspots that are frequently visited by birders. Furthermore, there are no publicly available records of C. flavicapilla for these locations or anywhere else in Ecuador. Lastly, I analyzed the species distributional limits in southern Colombia. Two biogeographical barriers limit its distribution to northern Ecuador: (1) The Patía Valley in the western Andes and (2) the Colombian Massif in the central and eastern Andes. In conclusion, there is no tangible evidence that C. flavicapilla has been recorded in Ecuador, and based on its current distribution, it should be considered endemic to Colombia.