| Silver-throated Tanager | ||||||||||||||
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| Tangara icterocephala (Bonaparte, 1851) |
The Silver-throated Tanager, Tangara icterocephala, is a medium-sized passerine bird. This tanager is a resident breeder in the highlands from Costa Rica to western Ecuador. It is common from about 600 m to 1700 m altitude in the lower and middle levels of wet mountain forests and adjacent semi-open areas like clearings with shade trees, second growth and woodland edges. In the heavy rains of the wet season, it will descend to sea level. The compact cup nest is built 1-13 m high in a tree on a branch. The normal clutch is two brown-blotched off-white eggs. This species will raise two broods in a season The adult Silver-throated Tanager is 13 cm long and weighs 21g. The male is mainly yellow, with black streaks down its back, and a whitish throat bordered above with a black malar stripe. The wings and tail are black with pale green edgings. The sexes are similar, but adult females have duller and greener-tinged yellow plumage, and sometimes dark mottling on the crown. Immatures are much duller and greener, with dusky wings, tail, back streaks and malar stripe, a grey throat and darker green wing edging. Silver-throated Tanagers occur in pairs, small groups, or as part of a mixed-species feeding flock. They eat small fruit, usually swallowed whole, insects and spiders. The Silver-throated Tanager’s call is a distinctive sharp buzzy zzeeep. It does not sing.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). Tangara icterocephala. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
External links
- Silver-throated Tanager videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Silver-throated Tanager photo gallery VIREO (includes picture of egg clutch)
- Photo-High Res--(Close-up of front and throat); Article nationalzoo.si.edu–"Smithsonian: Bird Photo Gallery"
- Photo-High Res--(Close up); Article & photo gallery mangoverde
