Small ground-finch

Geospiza fuliginosa

Photo by Douglas Bolt (Mango Verde)

Common name:
small ground-finch (en); tentilhão-da-terra-pequeno (pt); géospize fuligineux (fr); pinzón terrestre pequeno (es); kleingrundfink (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family  Thraupidae

Range:
These birds are endemic to the Galapagos islands, being found in the islands of the archipelago except Genovesa, Wolf and Darwin.

Size:
Small ground-finches are 11 cm long and weigh 14 g.

Habitat:
They are mostly found in arid lowland zones, dominated by cacti, deciduous scrubs and dwarf trees, but also occur in forests at higher altitudes, up to an altitude of 1.700 m.

Diet:
These birds forage on the ground or in low vegetation, eating seeds, buds, flowers and leaves, and to a lesser extent also arthropods and the the fruits of Opuntia cacti. They are also known to glean parasites from the skin of iguanas and tortoises.

Breeding:
The small ground-finch breed opportunistically, with egg-laying being most profuse when rainfall is high and food abundant. They are typically monogamous and maintain small territories where they build a small dome-shaped nest on a scrub or cactus. There the female lays 3 eggs which are incubated for 12 days. The chicks are fed mostly insects and fledge 2 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
Although this species has a relatively small breeding range, it is described as common and widespread. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Blue-necked tanager

Tangara cyanicollis

Photo by Biswarup Satpati (Trek Nature)

Common name:
blue-necked tanager (en); saíra-de-cabeça-azul (pt); calliste à cou bleu (fr); tangara cabeciazul (es); azurkopftangare (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriforme
Family Thraupidae

Range:
This South American species occurs in two separate populations. One found along the lower slopes of the Andes, from Venezuela and Colombia south, on the west side of the Andes, to western Ecuador, and, on the east side of the Andes, south to Bolivia. The other population occupies the lowlands of southern Amazone forest, in central Brazil and marginally into eastern Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 12-13 cm long and weigh 14-19 g.

Habitat:
The blue-necked tanager is found in tropical scrublands and dry savannas, as well as in the canopy of primary evergreen rainforests and also in plantations and second growths. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.400 m.

Diet:
They are omnivorous, eating insects, flower buds and fruits. Among others, they are known to eat Miconia berries and Cecropia catkins and fruits.

Breeding:
Blue-necked tanagers can probably breed all year round. They nest in a tree hollow, lined with leaves and moss, where the female lays 2 white eggs with brown spots. The female incubates the eggs alone for 13-15 days, while the male brings her food. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-20 days after hatching, becoming independent about 3 weeks later.

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

Scarlet tanager

Piranga olivacea

Photo by Stefan Johansson (Flickr)

Common name:
scarlet tanager (en); sanhaçu-escarlate (pt); piranga écarlate (fr); tángara escarlata (es); scharlachtangare (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae

Range:
This species breeds in eastern North America, from Saskatchewan and North Dakota to southern Quebec and Maine, and south to Arkansas and Georgia. They migrate south to winter in north-western South America, from Panama, Colombia and Venezuela down to Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 16-17 cm long and have a wingspan of 25-29 cm. They weigh 23-38 g.

Habitat:
The scarlet tanager breeds in deciduous forests and mixed deciduous forests with hemlock Tsuga sp. and pine Pinus sp., as well as in rural areas and in parks within urban areas. They winter in tropical moist forests and swamp forests, along the eastern slopes of the Andes up to an altitude of 1.300 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects and fruits, namely aphids, weevils, beetles, cicadas, buds, dragonflies, ants, termites, caterpillars of gypsy moths, wasps, bees and wild fruits such as mulberries, June berries and huckleberries.

Breeding:
Scarlet tanagers breed in May-August. They are monogamous and the female builds the nest, a flimsy cup woven with twigs, grasses, plant stalks, bark strips, rootlets, and pine needles. The nest is lined with grass, fine rootlets, fine plant fibres, vine tendrils, and pine needles, and it is placed in a fork in a tree, up to 15 m above the ground. She lays 3-5 greenish-blue or light blue eggs with chestnut, purplish red, and lilac speckles, which are incubated for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 9-15 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 2,2 million individuals. The scarlet tanager has had stable population trends over the last 4 decades.

Purple honeycreeper

Cyanerpes caeruleus

Photo by Fayard Mohammed (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
purple honeycreeper (en); saí-de-perna-amarela (pt); guit-guit céruléen (fr); copeicillo violáceo (es); purpurnaschvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae

Range:
These birds are found in northern South America, from northern Colombia and Venezuela, south to southern Ecuador west of the Andes and south to central Bolivia and central Brazil east of the Andes. In Brazil they are found as far south as Mato Grosso, Pará and Maranhão.

Size:
The purple honeycreeper is 10,5-12 cm long and weighs 12 g.

Habitat:
These birds are mostly found in the canopy of rainforests, swamp forests and elfin forests, but also in cocoa and citrus plantations, from sea level up to an altitude of 800 m.

Diet:
They have a varied diet, including various insects as well as the nectar and fruits of various plants. Their billed is particularly well adapted to feed on the nectar of bromeliad and other similar flowers.

Breeding:
The nest of the purple honeycreeper is built by the female, consisting of a small cup made of plant fibres, suspended from a tall scrub or tree. There she lays 2-3 white eggs with brown blotches, which are incubated for 12-13 days. There is no information regarding the fledging period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species 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.

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.