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THRAUPIDAE - the Tanager Family

Miscellaneous Species

The Thraupidae are a family of passerine birds found in the Americas. About 60% of tanagers live in South America, and 30% of these species live in the Andes. Most species are endemic to a relatively small area. In addition to "tanagers", dacnis, finches, flowerpiercers, honeycreepers, seedeaters, and many other diversely named species are included in Thraupidae. The tangara genus includes some of the most spectacularly colored THE WORLD BIRDS.

Tanagers are omnivorous, and their diets vary from genus to genus. They have been seen eating fruits, seeds, nectar, flower parts, and insects. Many pick insects off branches. Other species look for insects on the undersides of leaves. Yet others wait on branches until they see a flying insect and catch it in the air.

Some birds that are called Tanagers are actually in the Cardinal family Cardinalidae.


Genus Anisognathus
Found: South America

Tanager,_Black-cheeked_Mountain-  also Santa Marta Mountain-Tanager  Anisognathus melanogenys  Found: Columbia
The Black-cheeked Mountain-Tanager has blue upperparts; large black ear-patch; yellow spot below eye; yellow underparts.
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Nick_Athanas - Columbia


Tanager,_Black-chinned_Mountain-  Anisognathus notabilis  Found: west slope of the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador
The Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager has mainly yellow upperparts; black head with yellow rear crown; black chin; blue wings, tail.
Image by: 1, 2) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador  3) Ben_Tavener - Ecuador  4) Andy_Morffew - Ecuador


Tanager,_Blue-winged_Mountain-  Anisognathus somptuosus  Found: Andes from Columbia  to Bolivia
The Blue-bellied Mountain-Tanager has mainly black upperparts; black head with yellow crown ;bright blue wings; yellow underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador  2) Rafy_Rodriguez - Columbia  3) Alejandro_Tamayo


Tanager,_Lacrimose_Mountain-   Anisognathus lacrymosus  Found: Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager has blue upperparts, head (blackish on sides); yellow "teardrop" (hence name lacrimose) below eye; 2 yellow spots behid head.
Image by: 1) Félix Uribe - Columbia  2) José_Loaiza - Ecuador 3) Francesco_Veronesi - Columbia


Tanager,_Scarlet-bellied_Mountain-  Anisognathus igniventris  Found: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager has mainly black upperparts, head, breast; blue rump, wing-coverts; scarlet patch on ear coverts, belly.
Image by: 1) Mountain_Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Luke_Seitz  2) Francesco_Veronesi - Ecuador  3) Jei_Pov - Columbia



Genus Buthraupis
These two species of mountain-tangers are found in the Andean highlands of South America

Tanager,_Hooded_Mountain-  Buthraupis montana  Found: Andean highlands of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Hooded Mountain-Tanager has blue upperparts; black hood, legs; yellow underparts; red eyes.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador  2) Joao_Quental - Peru  3) Alejandro_Tamayo - Columbia


Tanager,_Masked_Mountain-  Buthraupis wetmorei  Found: Andean highlands of s. Colombia, Ecuador, n. Peru
The Masked Mountain-Tanager has mainly yellowish-green upperparts, nape, crown; large black masked trimmed with yellow; yellow underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Francesco_Veronesi - Ecuador  3) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador



Genus Cnemathraupis

Tanager,_Black-chested_Mountain-  Cnemathraupis eximia  Found: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Black-chested Mountain-Tanager has green upperparts has mainly black upperparts with gold band nin
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador


Tanager,_Golden-backed_Mountain-  Cnemathraupis aureodorsalis  Found: Peru
The Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager has black upperparts with gold band mid-back; purplish-blue crown, shoulders; black throat; golden-yellow belly, rump,
Image by: 1, 2) Nick_Athanas - Peru



Genus Coereba - 1 species

Bananaquit Coereba flaveola   Found: North America (Florida, but rarely), Caribbean, South America
The Banaquit has many subspecies and is variable in size and appearance. All have a curved bill which is used for obtaining nectar from flowers.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - Jamaica  2 , 3, 4) Dick - St. John, Virgin Islands  5, 9) New Jersy Birds  6, 7, 8) Dick - Puerto Rico  
1, 2) Juvenile  8) Black morph


Genus Conirostrum
The conebills have a conical shaped bill!

Conebill, Bicolored  Conirostrum bicolor  Found: South America
The Bicolored Conebill has grayish-blue upperparts; buff underparts; pink legs.  Its habitat is coastal mangrove swamps and neighboring woodlands.
Image by: 1, 2) New Jersy Birds  3) Ingeborg_van_Leeuwen - Brazil
1) Female  2, 3) Male


Conebill,_Blue-backed Conirostrum sitticolor  Found: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Blue-backed Conebill has mainly bright blue upperparts; black head, wings, tail, bib; rufous-red underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Peru  2) Félix_Uribe - Columbia  3) Carlos_Henrique - Ecuador


Conebill,_Capped  Conirostrum albifrons  Found: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The male Capped Conebill has mainly black plumage; blue crown, rump, shoulder patch. A subspecies has a white crown. Female has mainly olive-green plumage; blue crown.
Image by: 1, 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Oscar_Johnson in Peru, Alonso_Quevedo_Gil in Columbia   3) Nick Athanas - Ecuador  4) Francesco_Veronesi -  Ecuador
1) Female 2, 3, 4) Male


Conebill,_Chestnut-vented Conirostrum speciosum  Found: South America
The Chestnut-vented Conebill has blue-gray head; dark eye-line; pale underparts. Male has blue-gray upperparts; chestnut vent. Female has olive-green upperparts.
Image by: 1) Opisska - Brazil  3) Nick Athanas - Brazil  2, 4) Carlos_Henrique
1. 2) Female  3, 4) Male


Conebill, Cinereous  Conirostrum cinereum  Found: South America (Andes)
The Cinereous has greenish-gray upperparts; darker crown; dark wings with white wingbar; light supercilium; buff-gray underparts. It is found in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.
Image by: 1) Brendan_Ryan - Chile  2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Ecuador 


Conebill,_Giant Conirostrum binghami also Oreomanes fraseri  Found: Colombia to Ecuador, and Peru to Bolivia
The Giant Conebill has blue-gray upperparts; white cheek patch; chestnut underparts.
Image by: 1)  Nick Athanas - Ecuador  2) Nigel_Voaden - Ecuador


Conebill,_Rufous-browed Conirostrum rufum  Found: mainly Columbia, also Venezuela
The Rufous-browed Conebill has mainly bluish-gray upperparts; rufous forehead, supercilium, face, underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Columbia  2) Neil_Martinez


Conebill,_Tamarugo Conirostrum tamarugense  Found: Chile, southern Peru
The Tamarugo Conebill has mainly gray plumage; rufous supercilium, forehead, throat, undertail-coverts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Chile  2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Freddy_Olivares in Chile


Conebill,_White-browed Conirostrum ferrugineiventre  Found: Bolivia, Peru
The White-browed Conebill has bluish-gray upperparts; head; white supercilium; furous underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Peru  2) Håkan_Sandin - Bolivia



Genus Dubusia

Tanager,_Buff-breasted_Mountain-  Dubusia taeniata  Found: Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager has a buff breast-band.
Image by: 1, 2) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador, Peru
1) D. t. taeniata 2) D. t. stictocephala



Genus Euneornis - 1 species

Orangequit  Euneornis campestris  Found: Jamaica
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Jamaica
1, 2) Male  3, 4) Female



Genus Gubernatrix - 1 species

Cardinal,_Yellow   Gubernatrix cristata  Found: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay
The male Yellow Cardinal has mainly yellow plumage; yellow supercilium, malar stripe; black crest, throat patch. Female similar; white facial stripes; gray breast, flanks;  yellow center of belly.
Image by: 1) Alder_Vasquez  2) Lip_kee - Argentina  3) Ron_Knight
1) Pair  2) Female 3) Male



Genus Hemispingus
Hemispingus are found in the Andes.

Hemispingus,_Black-capped  Hemispingus atropileus   Found: Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Black-capped Hemispingus has green upperparts; black head; whitish supercilium; yellow underparts.
Image by: 1, 4) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador. Peru  2) Diego Calderon - Columbia  3) Dave_Curtis - Columbia
4) Subspecies H. a. auricularis found in Peru. May be separate species due to vocal difference.


Hemispingus,_Black-eared Hemispingus melanotis  Found: Bolivia, Columbia, Peru, Venezuela
The Black-eared Hemispingus black cheeks; pale supercilium; cinnamon to rufous underparts.
Image by: 1, 3) Nick_Athanas  2) Francesco_Veronesi
1) H. m. piurae 3) H. m. ochraceus


Hemispingus,_Black-headed  Hemispingus verticalis also Pseudospingus verticalis  Found: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Black-headed Hemispingus has gray upperparts; black head with whitish median stripe; white underparts; pale eyes.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador  2) Félix_Uribe


Hemispingus,_Drab Hemispingus xanthophthalmus also Pseudospingus xanthophthalmus   Found: Bolivia, Peru
The Darb Hemispingus has gray upperparts; darker cheeks; white underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Daniel_Lane in Peru, Glenn Bartley in Peru


Hemispingus,_Gray-capped Hemispingus reyi also Kleinothraupis reyi  Found: western Venezuela
The Gray-capped Hemispingus has olive upperparts; gray cap; yellow underparts.
Image by: 1) Karla Pérez  2) Fernando_Flores


Hemispingus,_Oleaginous Sphenopsis frontalis also  Hemispingus frontalis   Found: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Oleaginous Hemispingus has olive-green upperparts; dull yellow underparts; faint yellow supercilium
Image by: 1)  Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Juan_Arango in Venezuela


Hemispingus,_Orange-browed Hemispingus calophrys also Kleinothraupis calophrys   Found: Boliva, southern Peru
The Orange-browed Hemispingus black median crown stripe; broad orange supercilium; black eye-line.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Ian_Davies in Bolivia


Hemispingus, Parodi's  Hemispingus parodii also Kleinothraupis parodii Found: Peru
The Parodi's Hemispingus has greenish-yellow plumage; green supercilium. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist high altitude forests.
Image by: 1, 2)  Dominic Sherony  3) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Luke_Seitz


Hemispingus,_Rufous-browed  Hemispingus rufosuperciliaris also Poospiza rufosuperciliaris Found: Peru
The Rufous-browed Hemispingus has mainly slate-gray upperparts; black ear-coverts, median crown stripe; broad tawny supercilium; slightly tawny underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Peru


Hemispingus,_Slaty-backed Hemispingus goeringi also Poospiza goeringi  Found: Venezuela
The Slaty-backed Hemispingus has dark slaty-gray upperparts; black head with white superciliium; cinnamon-rufous underparts.
Image by: 1) Joseph_Smit


Hemispingus,_Superciliared  Hemispingus superciliaris  also Thlypopsis superciliaris Found: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Superciliared Hemispingus has olive upperparts; dark cheeks; white superciliium; yellow underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador  2) Michael_Woodruff - Ecuador  3) Carol_Foil - Peru



Genus Lanio

Tanager,_Black-throated_Shrike-  Lanio aurantius  Found: Mexico, Central America
The male Black-throated Shirke-Tanager has mainly yellow plumage; black hood, wings, tail. Female has olivie-green to brownish upperparts; olive-yellow underparts.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Sc0tt_Bower  2) Amado_Demesa


Tanager,_Fulvous_Shrike-  Lanio fulvus  Found: northern South America
The male Fulvous Shrike-Tanager has ochre-yellow mantle, underparts; black head, wings, tail; chesnut breast patch. Females mainly duller except brighter over rump.
Image by: 1) Jerry_Oldenettel - Venezuela  2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Roger_Alhman


Tanager,_White-throated_Shrike-  Lanio leucothorax  Found: Central America
The male White-throated Shirke-Tanager has mainly yellow plumage; white throat; black head, wings, tail. Female has olivie-green upperparts; brownish throat; olive-yellow underparts.
Image by: 1) David_Rodríguez_Arias  2) Michael_Woodruff - Costa Rica  3) Barbara_Dye - Coast Rica
1) Female 2, 3) Male


Tanager,_White-winged_Shrike- Lanio versicolor  Found: Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru
The male White-winged Shike-Tanager has yellowish-olive upperparts; black wings with white patch; blackish tail; yellow underparts. Female similar to male with black is washed out.
Image by:   1, 2) Nick_Athanas - Brazil  3) Hector_Bottai - Brazil
1) Female 2, 3) Male



Genus Loxipasser - 1 species

Grassquit,_Yellow-shouldered   Loxipasser anoxanthus Found: Jamaica
The male Yellow-shouldered Grassquit has yellow upper-back, wings; black head, neck, upper-breast; paler over rest underparts.
Image by:  1, 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Catherine_McFadden, Sam_Woods



Genus Nephelornis - 1 species

Pardusco Nephelornis oneilli  Found: central Peru
The Pardusco has olive-brown plumage; lighter underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas



Genus Pseudosaltator - 1 species

Tanager,_Rufous-bellied_Mountain-  Pseudosaltator rufiventris  Found: Bolivia, Argentina
Image by: 1, 2) Nick_Athanas - Argentina



Genus Tiaris

Grassquit, Black-faced Tiaris bicolor  Found: Caribbean and northern South America
The male Black-face Grassquit has olive-green upperparts; black head, breast. Female and juvenile have olive-gray upperparts; pale gray underparts. It breeds in the West Indies and along the northern coasts of Colombia and Venezuela. It feeds mainly on grass seeds.
Similar to: Blue-black Grassquit. Black-faced Grassquit has stouter bill. Female Blue-black Grassquit has streaked belly.
Image by:  1, 2, 4) Dick Daniels - Jamaica  3, 5) Dick - Puerto Rico   6, 7) New Jersy Birds
1, 2, 3) Female  4 - 6) Male



Grassquit,_Cuban  Tiaris canorus   Found: Cuban and other islands
The male Cuban Grassquit has black mask, breast patch; orange-yellow partial hood; gray crown, belly. Female has similar pattern but washed out.
Image by: 1) Ekaterina_Chernetsova  2) Richard_Taylor  3) Mario_Madrona
1) Female   2, 3) Male


Grassquit,_Dull  Tiaris obscurus   Found: South America
The Dull Grassquit has plain brown plumage; lighter underparts. There is also a gray colored race: Tiaris obscurus obscurus.
Image by: 1, 3) Nick Athanas - Ecuador, Peru  2) Dominic_Sherony - Peru
3) Tiaris obscurus obscurus


Grassquit,_Sooty  Tiaris fuliginosus   Found: South America
The male Sooty Grassquit has mainly gray plumage; blackish bill. Female has mainly olive-brown plumage.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Alison_Bentley  2) Dario Sanches
1) Female 2) Male


Grassquit, Yellow-faced  Tiaris olivaceus  Found: Central America
The Yellow-faced Grassquit has olive-green upperparts; pale grayish-olive underparts. Male has bright yellow supercilium, eye-arc, throat. Female may have faint supercilium. It feeds mainly on grass seeds.
Image by:   1, 2, 3, 7) Dick Daniels - Jamaica   4) New Jersy Birds   5) Mark_Peck  6) Dick - Boquette, Panama  Mark_Peck
1, 2, 3) Female  4, 5, 6, 7) Male




Genus Volatinia - 1 species

Grassquit,_Blue-black  Volatinia jacarina  Found: Central and South America
The male has blue-black plumage. Female has brown upperparts; dark-streaked buff underparts.
Similar to: Black-faced Grassquit. Black-faced Grassquit has stouter bill. Female Blue-black Grassquit has streaked belly.
Image by: 1) Dario Sanches - Brazil  2, 5) Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil  3, 6) Dick Daniels - Panama, , Ecuador    7) New Jersy Birds   4, 8) Nick Athanas - Columbia
1 - 4 Female 5 - 8) Male






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