Choco Warbler

The Choco Warbler (Myiothlypis chlorophrys) is a small, ground-associated warbler in the family Parulidae (New World warblers), endemic to the subtropical Andean foothills of western Ecuador in the Chocó biogeographic region. It belongs to the diverse genus Myiothlypis (formerly placed in Basileuterus), a group of largely terrestrial neotropical warblers that forage in the undergrowth of humid montane forests. The Choco Warbler is characterised by olive-green upperparts, yellow underparts, and a distinctive supercilium pattern on the head. It inhabits the dense undergrowth of humid foothill and lower montane forest at elevations between approximately 600 and 1,500 metres, foraging close to the ground among fallen leaves and low shrubs for small invertebrates. Its range appears largely restricted to southwestern and northwestern Ecuador in the humid Pacific slope forest zone, though the precise distribution boundary with related species is still being refined taxonomically. The IUCN classifies this species as Least Concern. Ecuador's Pacific slope forests face considerable pressure from agricultural expansion — particularly banana, cacao, and palm oil cultivation — and human settlement, though the species appears to tolerate some degree of forest degradation within its range.