About Rhytipterna simplex (Lichtenstein, 1823)
The greyish mourner (Rhytipterna simplex) measures 19.5 to 20.5 cm (7.7 to 8.1 in) in length and weighs 33 to 38 g (1.2 to 1.3 oz). Males of the nominate subspecies have a gray head with a faint crest at the back of the crown. Their upperparts, wings, and tail are gray, with a subtle brown tinge on the wings and tail. Their throat is light gray, and their underparts are slightly darker gray than the throat but lighter than the upperparts; their belly carries a faint yellowish green tinge. Females are very similar to males, differing only by the addition of fulvous edges to their wing and tail feathers. Subspecies R. s. frederici is nearly identical to the nominate subspecies, but is darker across its entire body. Both subspecies share the same physical traits: a dark red to reddish brown iris, a slightly hooked black bill that is often pink at the base, and black legs and feet.
The greyish mourner has a disjunct distribution. The nominate subspecies occurs in eastern Brazil, ranging from Alagoas south to eastern Minas Gerais and southwestern São Paulo. Subspecies R. s. frederici has a much larger range: it extends from southeastern Colombia south through eastern Ecuador and eastern Peru into northwestern Bolivia, and east through southern and eastern Venezuela, the Guianas, and Amazonian Brazil. Its eastern range limit is roughly marked by Mato Grosso, northern Goiás, and northern Maranhão. This species primarily lives in the mid-story to upper story of humid terra firme forest, and occasionally occurs in the transition zone between terra firme forest and other forest types. In Brazil, it is mostly found from sea level up to 800 m (2,600 ft), and sometimes occurs at higher elevations. In Colombia and Ecuador, it can be found up to 700 m (2,300 ft), in Peru up to 1,400 m (4,600 ft), and in Venezuela up to 1,300 m (4,300 ft).
