Silver-throated tanager | |
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T. i. frantzii, Costa Rica | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Thraupidae |
Genus: | Tangara |
Species: | T. icterocephala |
Binomial name | |
Tangara icterocephala (Bonaparte, 1851) | |
Silver-throated tanager range |
The silver-throated tanager (Tangara icterocephala) is a species of passerine bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and northeastern Peru. It inhabits mossy forests, montane evergreen forests, tropical lowland evergreen forests and forest edges, along with tall secondary forests and disturbed habitat with remnant trees and forest. It is 13 centimetres (5.1 in) long and weighs 22 grams (0.78 oz) on average, and shows slight sexual dimorphism, with duller female plumage. Adult males are mainly bright yellow, with a silvery-white throat bordered above with a black stripe on the cheeks, black streaking on the back, and green edges to the wings and tail. Juveniles are duller and greener.
The silver-throated tanager is omnivorous, and mainly feeds on fruits, especially melastomes, supplemented with arthropods. Breeding occurs from April–September, and two broods are raised in a single breeding season. Cup nests are built by females out of moss, leaves, and spider webs in forests or isolated trees. Eggs are laid in clutches of two and incubated by females. Nestlings leave the nest at around 15 days old. The silver-throated tanager is listed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the IUCN Red List, but is threatened by habitat destruction.
The silver-throated tanager was first described as Calliste icterocephala by Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1851 on the basis of a specimen from Ecuador. [2] The genus Calliste was subsequently synonymized with Calospiza, [3] which itself was later lumped with Tangara . [4] The generic name Tangara comes from the Tupí word tangara, meaning dancer. The specific name icterocephala is from the Ancient Greek words ikteros, meaning yellow, and kephalos, meaning headed. [5] Silver-throated tanager is the official common name designated by the International Ornithologists' Union. [6]
The silver-throated tanager is one of 27 species in the genus Tangara, in the tanager family Thraupidae. According to a 2004 study of mitochondrial DNA by Kevin Burns and Kazuya Naoki, it is part of a species group with the blue-whiskered tanager, green-and-gold tanager, emerald tanager, golden tanager, saffron-crowned tanager, golden-eared tanager, and flame-faced tanager within the genus. Within this group, it is sister to the emerald tanager. The clade formed by these two species is sister to the golden tanager. [7] The following cladogram shows phylogenetic relationships within the species group based on the above study: [8]
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There are three recognized subspecies of the silver-throated tanager. [6] The subspecies are differentiated by differences in their appearance and their distribution. [7]
The silver-throated tanager is an average-sized Tangara tanager, being 13 centimetres (5.1 in) long and weighing 22 grams (0.78 oz) on average. The species shows slight sexual dimorphism, with females being duller than males. The male is mainly bright yellow, with a silvery-white throat bordered above with a black stripe on the cheeks. The back is yellow with black streaking, and the wings and tail are yellow with green edges. The iris is brown, the beak is black, and the feet are gray. Adult females look similar to males, but have duller and greener plumage, and occasional faint dark mottling on the crown. Immatures are much duller and greener, with dusky wings, tail, back streaks and cheek stripe, a grey throat and darker green wing edging. This subadult plumage is kept through to the end of the first breeding season. [7]
The silver-throated tanager's calls are insect-like buzzes. When foraging or flying, the species has been recorded giving a harsh, buzzy jjeut, or a high-pitched bzeeet. It also gives a high-pitched tic. Its songs have not been described. [7]
It is found from northern Costa Rica through Panama, Colombia, and Peru to southern Ecuador, mainly at elevations of 600–1,800 m (2,000–5,900 ft), but occasionally from 0–2,300 m (0–7,546 ft). It inhabits mossy forests, montane evergreen forests, tropical lowland evergreen forests and forest edges, along with tall secondary forests. It also inhabits disturbed habitats with remnant trees and forest. It has been observed in clearings with fruit trees next to forests in Costa Rica, but rarely leaves forested habitat in Colombia. [7]
Silver-throated tanagers forage in pairs, small groups, or as part of a mixed-species feeding flock. Flocks of silver-throated tanagers consist of 3–5 individuals, and up to 12 individuals may be present in mixed-species flocks with other tanagers, vireos, and wood warblers. Mated pairs of the species are present year-round, but become looser after the end of the breeding season in November to December. Individuals have been observed bathing themselves in water that had collected in areas such as hollows in tree branches. [7]
Silver-throated tanagers are omnivorous, mainly feeding on fruit and supplementing their diet with arthropods. The main fruits eaten are melastomes, especially those from the genus Miconia . It has also been observed feeding on fruits of Souroubea guianensis . Arthropods form a greater percentage of the diet during the breeding season. [7]
Silver-throated tanagers forage in the canopy, mostly perching on or hanging from upside-down branches to eat small fruit. In Colombia, foraging occurs in the crowns of trees and shrubs at an average height of 8.5 m (28 ft) and rarely below 3 m (9.8 ft), but foraging occurs closer to the ground in Costa Rica. Foraging for arthropods occurs on thin moss-covered branches. They move quickly from branch to branch, and move in sprints down the branch while looking for arthropods. They also glean insects from small branches. [7]
In Costa Rica, breeding occurs from April–September, during when the silver-throated tanager has two broods. Females start building nests in April and are the only ones to make nests, although males bring food and nesting material for their partners. Nests are mainly built in forested areas at heights of 1.8–10.7 m (5.9–35.1 ft), but may also be made in isolated trees. The nests are cup-shaped and built of moss and leaves surrounded with spider webs, mainly hidden among moss-covered branches. [7]
Eggs are laid in clutches of two on consecutive days. They are off-white to dull gray in color, with brown mottling that is concentrated at the larger end, and measure 21.3–15.6 mm (0.84–0.61 in) on average. Females are the only ones that incubate the eggs. Both parents feed the young, and nestlings leave the nest after around 15 days, when they are able to look after themselves. On average, 54.3% of nests and 44.7% of eggs are successful. [7]
A survey in Costa Rica found the parasitic alveolate Haemoproteus coatneyi in the blood of silver-throated tanagers. [9] The silver-throated tanager is also the type host of the chewing louse Myrsidea icterocephalae . [10]
The silver-throated tanager is listed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the IUCN Red List, due to its large range and lack of a rapid decline in population. However, the species' population is declining due to habitat destruction. [1] Increases in tree density near open agricultural areas may increase the species' population. [7]
The bay-headed tanager is a medium-sized passerine bird. This tanager is a resident breeder in Costa Rica, Panama, South America south to Ecuador, Bolivia and north-western Brazil, and on Trinidad.
The red-crowned ant tanager is a medium-sized passerine bird from tropical America. It is the only species now placed in the genus Habia. This species was long placed with the tanagers (Thraupidae), but it is actually closer to the cardinals (Cardinalidae).
The flame-colored tanager, formerly known as the stripe-backed tanager, is a medium-sized American songbird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found from Mexico throughout Central America to northern Panama and occasionally in the United States; four subspecies are recognized. The flame-colored tanager is 18 to 19 cm long, the male having predominantly red-orange while the female is more yellowish orange.
The buffy tuftedcheek or Lawrence's tuftedcheek is a passerine bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
The green thorntail is a small hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama.
The black-and-yellow tanager is a fairly small passerine bird. This tanager is resides in the hills of Costa Rica and Panama.
The yellow-throated toucan is a Near Threatened species of bird in the family Ramphastidae, the toucans, toucanets, and aracaris. It is found from Honduras south into northern South America and beyond to Peru.
The hepatic tanager is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of the genus Piranga are now classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae).
The yellow-throated euphonia is a species of songbird in the family Fringillidae. It is found in southeastern Mexico and throughout Central America with its range stretching from Belize south to western Panama. It inhabits primarily both humid and dry regions where it prefers the forest edge, open woodland, and shaded plantations. It has two subspecies, the nominate subspecies Euphonia hirundinaceahirundinacea and Euphonia hirundinacea gnatho. This finch is a small bird with pointed wings and a short bill and short tail. Males of this species have dark glossy blue-black upperparts excluding a yellow forecrown, and bright yellow underparts, while females have olive green upperparts and whitish-gray breast and lower parts. It has a shrill song that alternates between high-pitched and moderately pitched and appears to be able to mimic some calls of other birds.
The dusky-faced tanager is a species of bird in the family Mitrospingidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama.
The grey-crowned palm-tanager or grey-crowned tanager is a Near Threatened species of bird in the family Phaenicophilidae, the Hispaniolan palm-tanagers. It is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The black-and-yellow phainoptila or black-and-yellow silky-flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Ptiliogonatidae. It is monotypic within the genus Phainoptila. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
The white-winged tanager is a medium-sized American songbird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found from Mexico, through Central America, across northern South America and as far south as Bolivia.
The Jamaican spindalis is one of four species of bird in family Spindalidae. It is endemic to Jamaica.
The emerald tanager is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama. Described by the English ornithologists PL Sclater and Osbert Salvin in 1869, it is a medium-sized species that has a length of 10.6–13 cm (4.2–5.1 in) and a mass of 18–20.5 g (0.63–0.72 oz). It can be identified by its bright green plumage, with black streaking on the back and wings, and a black auricular patch and beak. It also has yellow on the crown and rump. The species shows slight sexual dimorphism, with the females being duller and having yellow-green in place of yellow on the head.
The black-capped tanager is one of the many species of Neotropical bird in the family Thraupidae. It lives in mountains of Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela year-round. This bird can often be found in open landscapes, alone or in pairs, hiding under branches of trees and bushes. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest.
The flame-faced tanager is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is endemic to South America and is found in the eastern Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is a distinctive-looking species with black and opalescent green upperparts, opalescent green and buff underparts, and a deep red and yellow face. The subspecies lunigera lacks the deep red on the face, which is replaced with orangish-red.
The blue-and-black tanager is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in the Andes of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, where it inhabits montane evergreen forest, dwarf forest, and secondary forest at elevations of 1,500–3,500 m (4,900–11,500 ft). It inhabits the highest altitude of any Tangara species, and is the only species from the genus that is found near the tree line. Adults are 13 cm (5.1 in) long and weigh 18 g (0.63 oz) on average, and are mostly blue with black masks, wings, and tails. The species shows slight sexual dimorphism, with females being slightly duller than males.
The saffron-crowned tanager is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. Found in the northern Andes of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, it inhabits cloud forest, forest edges, and secondary forest, preferring areas with mossy trees. It is an average-sized species of tanager with a blue-green body and yellow head with a black forecrown, lores, orbital area, and chin.
The Talamanca hummingbird or admirable hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "mountain gems", tribe Lampornithini in subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.