Wing-barred seedeater

Sporophila americana

Photo by Michel Giraud-Audine (Flickr)

Common name:
wing-barred seedeater (en); coleiro-do-norte (pt); sporophile à ailes blanches (fr); espiguero chocoano (es); wechselpfäffchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae

Range:
These birds are found in northern South America and Central America, from northern Brazil and Peru to southern Mexico.

Size:
The wing-barred seedeater is 11-12 m long and weighs 12-13 g.

Habitat:
They are mostly found in open areas, such as grasslands, scrublands, pastures and agricultural areas, but sometimes also in tropical forests and within urban areas.

Diet:
The wing-barred seedeater feeds mainly on grass seeds, but also takes other seeds, berries and some insects. They forage in small flocks, often mixed with other species.

Breeding:
These birds nest in a flimsy cup built by the female with coarse plant material and lined with a few finer fibres. The nest is placed in low in a tree, up to 6 m above the ground. The female lays 2-3 pale grey eggs with brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 12-14 days. The chicks fledge 2 weeks after hatching. Each pair can raise 2-4 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 0,5-5 million individuals. The population is suspected to be declining owing to trapping pressure, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Giant conebill

Oreomanes fraseri

Photo by Sam Woods (Surf Birds)

Common name:
giant conebill (en); figuinha-gigante (pt); conirostre géant (fr); pájaro de los queñuales(es); riesenspitzschnabel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae

Range:
This South American species is found in the central and northern Andes, in southern Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 15 cm long and weigh 22-27 g.

Habitat:
The Giant Conebill is restricted to Polylepis woodlands, a high-elevation forest type that occurs above cloud level, at altitudes of 2.700-4.850 m.

Diet:
They are mainly insectivorous, eating caterpillars, beetles, small moth and aphids, but are known to probe the flowers of epiphytic mistletoes for nectar.

Breeding:
Giant conebills breed in October-December. The nest is an open cup made of twigs and sticks of Polylepis interwoven with soft plant material, and lined with moss, thin strips of Polylepis bark, feathers and sheep wool. The nest is placed within dense foliage, 2-3 m above the ground. The female lays 1-3 white eggs with brown specks, which are incubated by both parents. There is no information regarding the incubation period, but the chicks are known to be fed by both parents and fledge 14-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a relatively large but patchy breeding range. The global population size has not been quantified, but the giant conebill is described as uncommon and patchily distributed. The population is suspected to be undergoing a moderate decline owing to the destruction and fragmentation of Polylepis woodlands as a result of uncontrolled use of fire, firewood collection, intense grazing by cattle, unsound agricultural techniques and afforestation with exotic tree species.

White-rumped tanager

Cypsnagra hirundinacea

Photo by Ciro Albano (Flickr)

Commons name:
white-rumped tanager (en); bandoleta (pt); tangara hirundinacé (fr); bandoleta (es); weißbürzeltangare (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae

Range:
This South American species is found from eastern Bolivia east to north-eastern Brazil and northern Paraguay.

Size:
These birds are 16-16,5 cm long and weigh 24-34 g.

Habitat:
These birds are found in dry savannas and scrublands, namely in cerrado and campo habitats. They are also found in agricultural areas, and at the edges of human settlements.

Diet:
They are mainly insectivorous, taking caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles, flying ants, termites and spiders, but will also eat the fruits of Byrsonima, Anonna, Eugenia, and Erythroxulum.

Breeding:
The white-rumped tanager breeds in August-December. They are cooperative breeders, with several helpers, possibly young from previous clutches, participating in nest defence and feeding the chicks. The nest is a tightly woven cup of grass, leaves or twigs, lined with fine plant down. It is placed in a fork in a tree, 1-4 m above the ground. There the female lays 1-4 pale blue eggs with dark spots, which she incubates alone for 15-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and the helpers, fledging 11-13 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the white-rumped tanager is described as fairly common but patchily distributed. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-lined tanager

Tachyphonus rufus

Photo by Louis des Tombe (Birds of Suriname)

Common name:
white-lined tanager (en); pipira-preta (pt); tangara à galons blancs (fr); frutero chocolatero (es); schwarztangare (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae

Range:
This species is found from Costa Rica, through Colombia, Venezuela and the Guyanas and south to Peru, eastern Brazil and northern Argentina. They are also found in Trinidad and Tobago and are mostly absent from the upper Amazon basin.

Size:
These birds are 18-19 cm long and weigh around 33 g.

Habitat:
The white-lined tanager is mostly found in open or semi-open habitats, namely scrublands, dry savannas and along forest edges, but also in arable land and gardens. they are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.500 m.

Diet:
They mostly eat fruits, namely those of epiphytic plants, but also nectar, buds and insects such as beetles, ants and grasshoppers.

Breeding:
White-lined tanagers and solitary, territorial nesters. The nest is a bulky cup, made of grasses and dead leaves, placed in a low scrub or tree, not very far from the ground. The female lays 2-3 creamy eggs with brown blotches, which she incubates alone for 13-15 days. The chicks fledge around 15 days after hatching. Each pair usually raises 2 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common but patchily distributed. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Red-legged honeycreeper

Cyanerpes cyaneus

(Photo from Associazione Ornitologica Europea)

Common name:
red-legged honeycreeper (en); saíra-beija-flor (pt); guit-guit saï (fr); mielero patirrojo (es); Türkisnaschvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Mexico to central Brazil and Bolivia. There is also a disjunct population in the Atlantic rainforest of south-eastern Brazil.

Size:
These birds are 12-13 cm long and weigh 14 g.

Habitat:
The red-legged honeycreeper is found along the edges of rainforests and swamp forests, in open dry woodlands and savannas, second growths, rural areas and plantations. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects, some fruits and nectar.

Breeding:
The female builds a cup-shaped nest made of spider webs, placed in a fork in a tree. There she lays 2-3 white eggs with brown blotches, which she incubates alone for 12-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14 days after hatching. Each pair can raise 2-3 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
The red-legged honeycreeper has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 5-50 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Chat tanager

Calyptophilus frugivorus

Photo by José Pantaleón (Flickr)

Common name:
chat tanager (en); saíra-de-Hispaniola (pt); tangara cornichon (fr); chirrí (es); schmätzertangare (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae


Range:
This species is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, being found both in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.


Size:
These birds are 17-20 cm long and weighs around 50 g.


Habitat:
The chat tanager is mostly found in dense understory of moist forests and in scrublands, at altitudes of 750-2.200 m.


Diet:
They mainly feed on invertebrates such as spiders, worms, beetles and grubs.


Breeding:
Chat tanagers breed in May-July. The nest is an open cup made of moss, small herbaceous stems, leaf fragments, lichens, and other plant fibres, placed among dense vegetation, 1-5 m above the ground. The female lays 2 pale blue eggs with brown mottles, which she incubates alone. The chicks are fed by both parents but there is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledging periods.


Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a small and fragmented breeding range and the global population is estimated at just 1.500-7.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be declining rapidly as a result of ongoing habitat loss through agricultural conversion and logging.

Blue-grey tanager

Thraupis episcopus

Photo by Taran Rampersad (Flickr)

Common name:
blue-grey tanager (en); sanhaçu-da-Amazónia (pt); tangara évêque (fr); azulejo de jardín (es); bischofstangare (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae


Range:
This species is found in northern South America and in Central America, from northern Brazil, Bolivia and Peru to southern Mexico. They are also found in Trinidad and Tobago.


Size:
These birds are 16-18 cm long and weigh 30-40 g.


Habitat:
Blue-grey tanagers are found in open woodlands, namely dry savannas, moist forests and second growths. They are also found in moist scrublands, rural gardens, plantations and urban areas, from sea level up to an altitude of 2.600 m.


Diet:
They mainly eat fruits, but also insects, spiders  and nectars, foraging in the foliage 3-10 m above the ground.


Breeding:Blue-grey tanagers nest in a deep, open cup, in a high tree fork or building crevice. The female lays 1-3 whitish to grey-green eggs with dark markings. The eggs are incubated by the female for 14 days, and the chicks fledge 17 days after hatching. Each pair raises 2-3 clutches per year.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 5-50 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Speckled tanager

Tangara guttata

Photo by Ruben Campos (Focus on Nature)

Common name:
speckled tanager (en); saíra-pintada (pt); calliste tiqueté (fr); tangara pintada (es);  tropfentangare (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae


Range:
This species is found from Costa Rica south to northern Colombia, Venezuela and marginally across the border into northern Brazil and Guyana.


Size:
These birds are 12-14 cm long and weigh 15-21 g.


Habitat:
The speckled tanager is found in the canopies and borders of rainforests, in secondary woodlands and sometimes in cocoa and coffee plantations and rural gardens. They are present at altitudes of 300-2.000 m.


Diet:
They mostly eat small fruits, especially of Euphorbiaceae and Melastomaceae, but will also eat mistletoe fruits, pieces of larger fruits and seeds. They will also take some insects and spiders.


Breeding:
Speckled tanagers breed in April-July. The nest is an open cup made of leaves and plant fibres, and lined with hairs and fungal hyphae. The nest is placed in a small tree, 3-8 m above the ground. The female lays 2 heavily mottled white eggs, which she incubates alone for 13-14 days while receiving food from the male. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-15 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as fairly common. Although some populations have been affected by deforestation, the speckled tanager can easily adapt to secondary forests, so population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Green-headed tanager

Tangara seledon

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:
green-headed tanager (en); saíra-sete-cores (pt); calliste à tête verte (fr); tángara regia (es); dreifarbentangare (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae


Range:
This species is found in south-eastern Brazil and adjacent parts of Paraguay and Argentina.


Size:
The green-headed tanager is 13-13,5 cm long and weighs 16-20 g.


Habitat:
They are mostly found in humid Atlantic forest, but can also be found in orchards, parks and gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.100 m.


Diet:
They eat fruits, including those of palm trees, guava, papaya, cashew and berries from Bromeliads. They also eat insects and other arthropods.


Breeding:
Green-headed tanagers breed in November-February. The nest is a compact cup built by both adults with grass and leaves, and lined with soft materials. It is hidden within the foliage of a tree or scrub. The female lays 2-4 pale pinkish eggs with brown and grey markings, which she incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-18 days after hatching, but only become fully independent several weeks later.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is described as common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Black-capped tanager

Tangara heinei

Photo by Priscilla Burcher (Flickr)

Common name:
black-capped tanager (en); saíra-de-barrete-preto (pt); calliste à calotte noire (fr); tangara gorrinegra (es); heine-tangare (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae


Range:
These birds are found in mountainous areas of north-western South America, being present in north-western Venezuela, in northern and western Colombia and in northern Ecuador.


Size:
The black-capped tanager is 13 cm long and weighs 20-21 g.


Habitat:
These birds are found along the edges of humid and cloud forests and in mature second-growth forest, as well as within trees and scrubs in clearings, pastures, and open woodlands. They are present at altitudes of 1.000-2.700 m.


Diet:
They eat fruits, berries and insects.


Breeding:
Black-capped tanagers are monogamous and breed in December-August. Both sexes build the nest, an open cup made of dry grasses, rootlets and moss, placed in a small tree of bush up to 3 m above the ground. The female lays 1-2 dull blue eggs with reddish-brown blotches, which she incubates alone for 13-14 days while receiving food from the male. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-16 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a restricted breeding range and is described as uncommon. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Sayaca tanager

Thraupis sayaca

Photo by Celi Aurora (Flickriver)

Common name:
sayaca tanager (en); sanhaçu-cinzento (pt); tangara sayaca (fr); celestino común (es); prälattangare (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae


Range:
These birds are found in eastern, central and southern Brazil, as well as in Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and north-eastern Argentina.


Size:
Sayaca tanagers are 17-18,5 cm long and weigh 25-42 g.


Habitat:
They are mostly found in open forests and scrublands, as well as in plantations, pastures, and gardens and parks within urban areas.


Diet:
Sayaca tanagers are omnivorous, eating a wide range of fruits, flowers, buds, insects and spiders.


Breeding:
These birds breed in August-October. Both sexes build the nest, an open cup made of moss, rootlets and leaves. The nest is hidden among dense vegetation, generally being placed in a fork in a tree, 1,5-9 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-3 white or greyish eggs with brown spots, which she incubates alone for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 20 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
The sayaca tanager has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-banded tanager

Neothraupis fasciata

(Photo from Tropical Birding)

Common name:

white-banded tanager (en); cigarra-do-campo (pt); tangara unifascié (fr); frutero de banda blanca (es); flügelbindentangare (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Thraupidae

Range:

This South American species is found in eastern Bolivia, north-eastern Paraguay and in southern and eastern Brazil from southern Maranhão and Piauí south to Minas Gerais and northern São Paulo, and west to southern Mato Grosso.

Size:

The white-banded tanager is 16 cm long and weighs 29-32 g.

Habitat:

These birds are endemic to the cerrado biome, being found in dense woodlands and scrublands, but also in savannas and disturbed areas.

Diet:

The white-banded tanager is omnivorous, eating both arthropods and fruits. They are known to take ants, termites, mantises, caterpillars, butterflies, crickets and grasshoppers, as well as the fruits of Araliaceae, Melastomataceae, Ochnaceae and Rubiaceae.

Breeding:

These birds breed in August-November. They build a deep, cup-shaped nest made of grasses, and placed in a small tree or bush up to 1m above the ground. There the female lays 2-3 eggs which are incubated by both parents, and sometimes by birds from earlier broods, for 12-14 days. The chicks fledge 9-13 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. However, the population is declining at a slow to moderate rate, owing to continuing degradation and loss of suitable habitats within the range. Conversion to soybeans, exportable crops and Eucalyptus plantations has severely impacted cerrado habitats, with grasslands in Paraguay additionally threatened by extensive cattle-ranching.

Western tanager

Piranga ludoviciana

Photo by Juan Carlos Marín (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

western tanager (en); saíra-ocidental (pt); tangara à tête rouge (fr); tángara capucha roja (es); kieferntangare (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Thraupidae

Range:

This species breeds across western North America, from Alaska down to the southern United States. They migrate south to winter in Central America, from southern Mexico down to Panama.

Size:

Western tanagers are 16-19 cm long and weigh 24-36 g.

Habitat:

These birds breed in open coniferous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m. During the winter they are found in open mountain pine woodlands, second growth, and in parks and gardens.

Diet:

Western tanagers are mostly insectivorous, but also eat fruits and berries. They are known to take wasps and ants, beetles and woodborers, true bugs, grasshoppers and caterpillars. The fruits and berries eaten by western tanagers include hawthorn apples Crataegus spp., raspberries Rubus spp., mulberries Morus spp., elderberries Sambucus spp., serviceberries Amelanchier spp., and wild and cultivated cherries Prunus spp.

Breeding:

These birds breed in May-July. The female builds the nest cup, using twigs, rootlets, grasses, and pine needles. The female lays 3-5 bluish-green eggs with brown spots, which she incubates alone for 13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 11 to 15 days after hatching, but remain with the parents for another 2 weeks.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 8,9 million individuals. This species has undergone a small increase over the last 4 decades and is not considered threatened at present.

Paradise tanager

Tangara chilensis

Photo by Drew Avery (Wikipedia)

Common name:

paradise tanager (en); sete-cores-da-Amazónia (pt); calliste septicolore (fr); tángara siete colores (es); siebenfarbentangare (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriormes

Family Thraupidae

Range:

This South American species if found in the western and northern Amazon Basin, occurring in Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia,Brazil and the Guianas.

Size:

These birds are 13,5-15 cm long and weigh around 18-21 g.

Habitat:

Paradise tanagers are found in lowland humid tropical and subtropical forests, generally along the forest edge or in forest clearings.

Diet:

They mostly forage in the upper canopy, but also in lower fruiting trees, eating the fruits of Miconia and Aralia, among others. They also eat seeds invertebrates, namely fly larvae, short-horned grasshoppers, and spiders.

Breeding:

Paradise tanagers breed in June-August. They build a cup-shaped nest using moss, fungus strings and spider web, placed in the tree canopy up to 30 m above the ground. There the female lays greenish-white eggs with dark spots which are incubated for 15-17 days. The chicks fledge about 16 days after hatching. Each pair may raise 2-3 broods per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. Many rainforests within their range are being cut down in order to make way for the cultivation of cocaine and other agricultural crops, but there is no evidence for any declines or substantial threats at present.

Cherry-throated tanager

Nemosia rourei

Photo by Andre Luca (Arkive)

Common name:

cherry-throated tanager (en); saíra-apunhalada (pt); tangara rougegorge (fr); frutero de garganta cereza (es); rubinkehltangare (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Thraupidae

Range:

This species is endemic to Brazil and is currently only found the south-eastern state of Espírito Santo, at Fazenda Pindobas and Mata do Caetés.

Size:

These birds are 12,5-14 cm long and weigh 22 g.

Habitat:

It occurs primarily in the canopy of humid montane forest at elevations of 850-1.250 m.

Diet:

The cherry-throated tanager mostly eats small invertebrates such as caterpillars, butterflies, ants and other arthropods.

Breeding:

Although not much information is available, this species seems to breed in October-January. Similar species have a clutch size of 3-5 eggs and the females incubate the eggs alone for 10-13 days. In similar species the chicks fledge 8-11 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - CR (Critically Endangered)

This species has an extremely restricted breeding range and the global population size is estimated at just 50-250 individuals. This species was first recorded in the 1870s, but was rarely recorded until the 1990s. Currently the population is suspected to be declining at a rate of 10-19% over ten years, as a result of ongoing forest clearance owing to conversion to coffee plantations, mining activities and subsistence usage.

Green-and-gold tanager

Tangara schrankii

Photo by Glenn Bartley (Glenn Bartley Nature Photography)

Common name:

green-and-gold tanager (en); saíra-ouro (pt); calliste de Schrank (fr); tángara de cara negra (es); goldbrusttangare (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Thraupidae

Range:

This South American specis is found in the western and central Amazon Basin in eastern Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, central Bolivia, and north-western Brazil.

Size:

The green-and-gold tanager is 12-13,5 cm long and weighs 19-20 g.

Habitat:

These birds inhabit sub-tropical and tropical moist lowland forests and swamps. They are found from sea level up to an altitude of 1650 m.

Diet:

The green-and gold tanager mostly eats fruits, berries and seeds, namely of Cecropiaceae, Orchidaceae, Rubiaceae and Piperaceae. They also hunt for insects in dense foliage on branches.

Breeding:

These birds breed in July-December. They build a cup-shaped nest made of dry leaves, lichens and rootlets and lined with plant fibres. The nest is placed on a small under-story tree less than 2 m above the ground. There the female lays 2 pale reddish brown eggs densely speckled with darker red. The eggs are incubated for 13-17 days by the female alone. The the chicks are mostly fed by the female and fledge 15-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

The green-and-gold tanager has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, this species is described as common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.

Brazilian tanager

Ramphocelus bresilius

Photo by Cláudio Márcio (Flickr)

Common name:

Brazilian tanager (en); tiê-sangue (pt); tangará du Brésil (fr); fueguero escarlata (es); purpurtangare (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Thraupidae

Range:

The Brazilian tanager is endemic to the east coast of Brazil from Paraíba to Santa Catarina.

Size:

These birds are 19 cm long and weigh 31 g.

Habitat:

This species lives near plantations, chicken coops, and forest edges. It also likes to be near water.

Diet:

Brazilian tanagers are mostly frugivorous, showing a preference for the fruits of Cecropia and Acnistus arborescens, but also eating papaya, guava, banana, and other tropical fruits. Sometimes they also eat insects and worms.

Breeding:

These birds breed in October-March. They build a cup-shaped nest using plant fibres from palms, agaves and coconuts, and grass roots. There the female lays 2-3 bluish-green eggs which she incubates alone for 13 days. The chicks fledge 14-17 after hatching but only become fully independent some 3 weeks later. Each pair produces 2-3 clutches per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, this species is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Orange-headed tanager

Thlypopsis sordida

Common name:

orange-headed tanager (en); saí-canário (pt); tangara à tête orange (fr); zarcerito cabeciamarillo (es); orangekopftangare (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Thraupidae

Range:

These birds are widely distributed in South America, in Venezuela, Peru, Equador, Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay, Argentina and throughout Brazil.

Size:

Orange-headed tanagers are 13-14 cm long and weigh 14 g.

Habitat:

They are mostly found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist scrubland, and heavily degraded former forest. They may also be found in swamps, open landscapes and even within urban areas.

Diet:

The orange-headed tanager is omnivorous, taking fruits, seeds and insects which they glean from foliage.

Breeding:

These birds breed in July-November. The female builds a cup-shaped nest, using plant fibres, twigs and spider webs collected by the male. The nest is typically placed on a tree, 2-5 m above the ground. There she lays 2-3 bluish eggs with brown spots which she incubates alone for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 12 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

Altough the global population size has not been quantified, this species is described as fairly common over its extremely large breeding range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Green honeycreeper

Chlorophanes spiza

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:

green honeycreeper (en); saí-verde (pt); guit-guit émeraude (fr); mielero verde (es); kappennaschvogel (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Thraupidae

Range:

The green honeycreeper is found in the Americas, from southern Mexico down to Peru, Bolivia and southern Brazil. They are also found in the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.

Size:

These birds are 12,5-14 cm long. They weigh 17-19 g.

Habitat:

This forest species is mostly found in secondary woodland and rain forests, typically high up in the canopy. They may also be found in forest clearings, forest edges and orchards.

Diet:

Their diet consists of fruits, nectar and small arthropods.

Breeding:

The green honeycreeper breeds in April-July. The female builds a small cup nest in a tree, and incubates the clutch of 2 brown-blotched white eggs alone for 13 days. The chicks fledge 12 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

These birds have a very large breeding range and an estimated population of 500.000-5.000.000. With no evidence for any declines or substantial threats, the species is not considered threatened at present.