Red shouldered Tanager (Tachyphonus phoenicius)

[order] Passeriformes | [family] Thraupidae | [latin] Tachyphonus phoenicius | [UK] Red-shouldered Tanager | [FR] Tangara a galons rouges | [DE] Rotschultertangare | [ES] Frutero de Hombros Rojos | [IT] Tangara spallerosse | [NL] Roodschouder-tangare

The male is glossy black on both the upper and under surfaces, and there is a bluish sheen to the upper parts; the upper lesser wing coverts are scarlet and the axillaries and underwing coverts pure white. The female is totally different, the general color of the upper surface being dusky brown, while the throat and middle abdomen are white.

It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland. Tachyphonus phoenicius inhabits
rather open, sandy savannas covered with scattered bushes.

The cup shaped nest is built on the ground with the outer layer of the nest was composed of dry, rather broad grass stems and the inner cup was lined with very fine grasses. Clutch size is 1-2 eggs.

Forages in pairs or in mixed-species groups 1-6 meter above ground. They hunt for insects in dense foliage by gleaning and sallying, will also eat fruit.

This species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 2,100,000 km². The global population size has not been quantified, but it is believed to be large as the species is described as ‘frequent’ in at least parts of its range (Stotz et al. 1996). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Sedentary throughout range

Title The nest and egg of Tachyphonus phoenicius

Author(s): F. HAVERSCHMIDT

Abstract: Red-shouldered Tanager (Tuchyphonus phoenicius) is..[more]..

Source: Wilson Bulletin: Vol.68,No.4