Golden-collared honeycreeper

The golden-collared honeycreeper (Iridophanes pulcherrimus) is an uncommon species of Neotropical bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is the only member of the genus Iridophanes.

Golden-collared honeycreeper
Male in Ecuador
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Thraupidae
Genus:	Iridophanes Ridgway, 1901
Species:	I. pulcherrimus
Binomial name
Iridophanes pulcherrimus (P.L. Sclater, 1853)
Synonyms
Tangara pulcherrima (protonym) Chlorophanes pulcherrimus

It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest.

Taxonomy

The golden-collared honeycreeper was formally described in 1853 by the English zoologist Philip Sclater from a specimen collected near Bogotá in Colombia. He coined the binomial name Tangara pulcherrima.^[2][3] It is now the only species placed in the genus Iridophanes that was erected by Robert Ridgway in 1901.^[4][5] The genus name Iridophanes combines the Ancient Greek iris meaning "rainbow" and -phanēs meaning "showing". The specific epithet pulcherrimus is Latin for "very beautiful".^[6]

A molecular phylogenetic study of the tanager family published in 2014 found that the golden-collared honeycreeper and the green honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza) were sister species.^[7]

Two subspecies are recognised:^[5]

• I. p. pulcherrimus (Sclater, PL, 1853) – central Colombia through east Ecuador to south-central Peru
• I. p. aureinucha (Ridgway, 1879) – west Colombia to northwest Ecuador