Green Hylia
Hylia prasina
The Green Hylia (Hylia prasina) is a rare hylia found in 21 countries, weighing about 13 g. The green hylia is a monotypic genus widespread in tropical Africa, where it mostly inhabits the understory and mid-stratum of moist forest.
About the Green Hylia
The green hylia is a monotypic genus widespread in tropical Africa, where it mostly inhabits the understory and mid-stratum of moist forest. It is a canopy insectivore which had been tentatively placed within the family of Cettiidae warblers, but in 2019 its assignment to a new family, the Hyliidae, was strongly supported.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The green hylia has dark brown irises, a black bill and olive green feet. This species is small, weighing approximately 14 g. There is no noticeable difference in colour between the sexes, however males are generally larger. There are two subspecies, H. p. prasina and H. p. poensis, which differ in the colouring under the throat. H. p. prasina has an olive green chin and throat and olive-grey underbelly while H. p. poensis has a white-grey throat and underbelly. Voice: The green hylia uses several different calls, the most common being clear whistles (kee kee) or dry scolding rattles (trrit trrrit). It is known for its recognisable, pure, two-note song. Alarm calls used to warn of nearby predators are short as this makes it difficult for predators to locate exactly where the call is coming from.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Green Hylia can be seen all year round, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Green Hylia?
- The green hylia has dark brown irises, a black bill and olive green feet. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Green Hylia?
- The Green Hylia is a tiny sized bird weighing about 13 g.
- Where can you see a Green Hylia?
- The Green Hylia occurs in 21 countries, including Uganda, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Congo - Kinshasa.
- What birds look similar to a Green Hylia?
- The Green Hylia is most easily confused with the Tit Hylia.
- Is the Green Hylia endangered?
- The Green Hylia is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Green Hylia for real
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