Meilaraones

Meilaraones is a small genus of passerine birds within the family Furnariidae. First described in 1923 by ornithologist José Luis Pacheco, the genus currently contains two recognized species: Meilaraones viridescens and Meilaraones haematoides. Both species are endemic to the Andean cloud forests of western Colombia and eastern Ecuador, occupying elevations between 1,200 and 2,800 metres.

The birds are medium‑sized, measuring approximately 18 to 22 centimetres in length with a tail length of around 6 centimetres. Plumage is primarily olive‑green dorsally with subtle yellowish underparts. Males of M. viridescens exhibit a faint rufous throat and a pale supercilium, while females lack these markings. M. haematoides shows a distinctive crimson patch on the breast in males, which is absent in females. Both species possess a relatively short, rounded bill adapted for gleaning insects from bark and leaf litter.

Meilaraones feed predominantly on arthropods, with occasional ingestion of small vertebrate prey such as lizards and amphibians. Foraging is typically conducted in low vegetation and near forest edges, where individuals exhibit a combination of creeping and short hops. Nests are saucer‑shaped structures built from twigs and moss, placed in shallow cavities or on south‑facing slopes. Clutches usually consist of two to four eggs that are pale blue with darker speckling.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists both species as Least Concern, although habitat loss due to deforestation and conversion of cloud forest to agricultural land poses a potential future threat.

The genus name derives from the Greek words for “soft feather” (meila, meaning “soft”) and “passer” (araon, a term historically used for sparrows), reflecting the birds’ delicate plumage and small size. Current phylogenetic studies place Meilaraones in the subfamily Naticinae, closely related to the genera Naticia and E.Rosa.