What is the specific morphological feature noted on the male *ocularis* that helps distinguish it from the nominate form?
Answer
The black spot on the lores
For field observers applying taxonomic divisions, recognizing subtle physical differences between subspecies is a practical necessity. In the case of the Black-and-Yellow Tanager, one key divergence used to identify the male *ocularis* subspecies is the presence of a black spot located specifically on the lores. The lores are the area between the eye and the bill. This characteristic provides a clear distinction when comparing males of *C. c. ocularis* against the nominate subspecies, *C. c. chrysomelas*, which lacks this specific marking or exhibits a different pattern in that region.
Related Questions
What was the original generic name, the protonym, for the Black-and-Yellow Tanager?Which ornithologists are credited with the initial formal description of the species in 1869?What two primary elements, derived from Greek, define the meaning of the specific epithet *chrysomelas*?To which avian Family is *Chrysothlypis chrysomelas* currently situated, confirming its identity as a true tanager?Where was the type locality pinpointed for the initial formal description of the species?How does the geographical location of the recognized subspecies *C. c. ocularis* differ from the nominate subspecies?What is the general translation signified by the Greek origin of the genus name *Chrysothlypis*?What is the specific morphological feature noted on the male *ocularis* that helps distinguish it from the nominate form?When ornithologists shift a species from *Tachyphonus* to *Chrysothlypis*, what is the primary evolutionary justification?Which spelling of the specific epithet is noted as an emendation that differs from the spelling recognized by most modern authorities?What level of avian classification, known as the largest order, does the Black-and-Yellow Tanager belong to?