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THRAUPIDAE - the Tanager Family

TANAGERs

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 birds of the world.

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

Tanager,_Blue-winged Mountain-  Anisognathus somptuosus  Found: northern South America
The Blue-winged Mountain Tanager has a black back, mask; yellow cap and underparts; blue wings with black wing patch.
Image by: 1) Tad Boniecki - Ecuador  2) Will George  3) Dick Daniels - National Aviary 



Genus Bangsia

Tanager,_Black-and-gold   Bangsia melanochlamys  Found: northern Andes of Columbia
The Black-and-gold has mainly black upperparts; blue wings, rump; gold underparts; black flanks.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas   2) Anlejandro_Bayer_Tamayo  3) Francesco_Veronesi


Tanager,_Blue-and-gold   Bangsia arcaei  Found: Costa Rica, Panama
The Blue-and-gold Tanager has bluish-black upperparts, head, tail, flanks; rest gold.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Arco_Huang in Costa rica  2) Michael_Woodruff


Tanager,_Golden-chested  Bangsia rothschildi  Found: Columbia, Ecuador
The Golden-chested Tanager has mainly black plumage; gold upper-brest, rump.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador  2) _Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Luke_Seitz in Ecuador


Tanager,_Gold-ringed  Bangsia aureocincta  Found: Columbia
The Gold-ringed Tanager has mainly green upperparts, belly, flanks; yellow ring formed by supercilium; black mask, throat; yellow central breast patch.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas  2, 3) Francesco_Veronesi


Tanager,_Moss-backed  Bangsia edwardsi  Found: Columbia, Ecuador
The Moss-backed Tanager has dull green upperparts; brighter underparts; violet-blue head with black crown; blue wings.
Image by: 1, 2) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador  3) Eric Gropp



Genus Calochaetes - 1 species

Tanager,_Vermilion  Calochaetes coccineus  Found: Columbia, Ecuador, Peru
The Vermilion Tanager has mainly red plumage; black mask, throat, wings, tail.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador



Genus Calyptophilus

Tanager,_Eastern_Chat  Calyptophilus frugivorus  Found: Hispaniola
The Eastern Chat Tanager has dark brown upperparts; white throat, upper-breast; gray-brown rest of underparts; yellow eye-ring.
Similar to: Western Chat Tanager. Eastern Chat Tanager has bold eye-ring; Eastern Chat Tanager does not.
Image by: 1) Miguel_Landestoy


Tanager,_Western_Chat  Calyptophilus tertius  Found: Hispaniola
The Western Chat Tanager has dark brown upperparts; white throat, upper-breast; gray-brown rest of underparts; yellow patch between eye and bill.
Similar to: Eastern Chat Tanager. Estern Chat Tanager has bold eye-ring; Eastern Chat Tanager does not.
Image by: 1) Rafy_Rodriguez  2) Guillermo_Armenteros



Genus Chlorochrysa

Tanager,_Glistening-green  Chlorochrysa phoenicotis  Found: Pacific slopes of Colombia and northwest Ecuador
The Glistening-green Tanager has mainly deep green plumage; small blue-gray and orange patches on the ear-coverts.
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi - Columbia  2) Nick Athanas- Ecuador


Tanager,_Orange-eared   Chlorochrysa calliparaea  Found: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Orange-eared Tanager has mainly green upperparts; orange-red neck sides "ears". Males have varying amonut of blue on undersides.
Image by: 1) Andres_Cuervo  2) Ana_Agreda - Ecuador 



Genus Chlorornis - 1 species

Tanager,_Grass-green  Chlorornis riefferii  Found: Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru
The Grass-green Tanager has mainly green plumage; chestnut mask; red bil, feet.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador  2) Michael_Woodruff - Ecuador



Genus Chrysothlypis

Tanager,_Black-and-yellow  Chrysothlypis chrysomelas  Found: Costa Rica, Panama
The male Black-and-yellow Tanager has mainly yellow plumage; black mantle, wings, tail. Female has mainly green upperparpts; mainly dull yellow underparts; may be whiter near the vent.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Lauren_Harter  2) Don_Faulkner  Tom_Benson - Costa Rica
1) Female 2, 3) Male


Tanager,_Scarlet-and-white  Chrysothlypis salmoni  Found: Columbia, Ecuador
The male Scarlet-and-white Tanager has scarlet plumage; dark wings; white belly except for red center area. Female has brown upperparts; pale underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Nick Athanas - Ecuador  3) Andres_Cuervo
1) Female 2, 3) Male



Genus Cissopis - 1 species

Tanager,_Magpie Cissopis leverianus  Found: South America
The Magpie Tanager has black head, breast, tail; white tip on tail; some black on wings; rest white.
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi - Peru  2) Claudio_Timm - Brazil  3) Nick_Athanas - Brazil



Genus Cnemoscopus - 1 species

Tanager,_Gray-hooded Bush-  Cnemoscopus rubrirostris  Found: South America
Found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its habitat is subtropical or tropical moist high altitude forests.
Image by: 1) Dario Sanches - Brazil  2) Ana Agreda



Genus Compsothraupis - 1 species

Tanager,_Scarlet-throated  Compsothraupis loricataFound: northeast Brazil
The male Scarlet-throated Tanager has mainly black plumage; red throat. Female has all black plumage.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Joao_Quental



Genus Conothraupis

Tanager,_Black-and-white Conothraupis speculigera  Found: Bolivia, Brazil (state of Acre), Ecuador, Peru
The male Black-and-white Tanager has black upperparts, head, throat, upper-breast; white rest underparts; gray rump. Female has mainly olive plumage. Both have red eyes; silver bill.
Similar to: Cone-billed Tanager. Cone-billed Tanager has almost white bill; Black-and-white Tanager has silver-gray bill.
Image by: 1) Joe_Tobias  2) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador
1) Juvenile male 2) Male


Tanager,_Cone-billed Conothraupis mesoleuca  Found: Brazil
The male Cone-billed Tanager has black upperparts, head, throat, upper-breast; white rest underparts. Female has mainly olive-brown plumage.
Similar to: Black-and-white Tanager. Cone-billed Tanager has almost white bill; Black-and-white Tanager has silver-gray bill.
Image by: 1) William_Price  2, 3) Nick_Athanas - Columbia



Genus Creurgops
These are heavy billed tanagers of the South American Andes.

Tanager,_Rufous-crested   Creurgops verticalis Found: Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Rufous-crested Tanager has gray upperparts; rufous underparts.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online -Fabrice Schmitt in Peru, Roger_Ahlman in Ecuador


Tanager,_Slaty   Creurgops dentatus Found: Bolivia, Peru
The male Slaty Tanager has mainly gray plumage; rufous crown patch. Female has gray upperparts; white supercilium; mainly rufous underparts.
Image by: 1) Tony_Castro - Peru
1) Female 2) Male



Genus Cyanicterus - 1 species

Tanager,_Blue-backed   Cyanicterus cyanicterus Found: mainly northeast Brazil; also southeast Venezuela
The male Blue-backed Tanager has blue upperparts; head; black bill; yellow underparts. Female has lighter blue on upperparts; mainly yellow on head; yellow underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Anselmo_d'Affonseca in Brazil



Genus Cypsnagra - 1 species

Tanager,_White-rumped  Cypsnagra hirundinacea  Found: mainly in Brazil
The White-rumped Tanager has bluish-black upperparts; white rump; cinnamon to white underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Brazil  2) Nortondefeis 



Genus Embernagra

Finch, Great Pampa-  Embernagra Platensis Found: South America
The Great Pampa-Finch has olive upperparts, tail; gray head, throat, breast; orange bill. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Image by: André Roviralta Dias Baptista - Brazil



Genus Eucometis - 1 species

Tanager,_Gray-headed  Eucometis penicillata  Found: Mexico, Central America, northern South America
The Gray-headed Tanager has olive to yellow upperparts; bright yellow underparts; gray head.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Soberania National Park, Panama



Genus Hemithraupis

Tanager,_Guira Hemithraupis guira  Found:South America
The Guira Tanager has olive-green upperparts; white belly; orange bill. Male has black face and throat outlined with narrow yellowish border. Female has no black.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Luke_Seitz in Ecuador  2) Dario Sanches - Brazil  3) Nick Athanas - Ecuador
1) Female 2. 3) Male


Tanager,_Rufous-headed  Hemithraupis ruficapilla  Found: Brazil
Image by: 1) Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil  2) Gustavo Magnago 
1) Female  2) Male


Tanager,_Yellow-backed Hemithraupis flavicollis  Found: extreme eastern Panama, northern South America
The male Yellow-backed Tanager has mainly black upperparts; yellow lower back, rump patch; yellow throat; off white rest underparts. Female has olive-green upperparts; yellowish underparts.
Image by: 1) Hector_Bottai  - Brazil  2)   Nick Athanas - Brazi  3) Claudio Timm



Genus Heterospingus
Found: South America

Tanager,_Scarlet-browed  Heterospingus xanthopygius   Found: Columbia, Ecuador
The Scarlet-browed Tanager has mainly dark plumage; yellow rump; white tuft on scapular. Male has scarlet supercilium.
Image by: 1, 2) Ron_Knight - Columbia   3) Nick Athanas - Columbia
1) Pair 2, 3) Male


Tanager,_Sulphur-rumped  Heterospingus rubrifrons  Found: Costa Rica, Panama
The Sulphur-rumped Tanager has mainly gray upperparts; yellow rump; pale gray underparts paler at flanks.
Image by: 1) HarmonyonPlanetEarth  2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - David_McDonald in Panama



Genus Iridosornis
Found: South America
All iridosonis have blue upperparts and some bright yellow/gold on their head.

Tanager,_Golden-collared  Iridosornis jelskii  Found: Bolivia, Peru
The Golden-collared Tanager has bright blue upperparts; black face outlined by golden collar;  deep tawny underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Peru  2) Claudio_Timm


Tanager,_Golden-crowned  Iridosornis rufivertex  Found: Columbia, Ecuador, Peru
The Golden-crowned Tanager has mainly purplish-blue plumage; black head, tail; golden crown.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Ecuador  2) Michael_Woodruff - Ecuador


Tanager,_Purplish-mantled  Iridosornis porphyrocephalus  Found: Columbia, Ecuador
The Purplish-mantled Tanager has mainly purplish-blue plumage; yellow throat;
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Ecuador  2, 3) Francesco_Veronesi - Columbia


Tanager,_Yellow-scarfed  Iridosornis reinhardti  Found: Peru
The Yellow-scarfed Tanager has mainly purplish-blue plumage; black head, tail; yellow scarf-like patch..
Image by: 1, 2) Nick Athanas


Tanager,_Yellow-throated   Iridosornis analis  Found: Columbia, Ecuador, Peru
The Yellow-throated Tanaager has blue upperparts; darker head; black mask; yellow throat; cinnamon underparts.
Image by: 1) David_Cook - Peru  2) Christopher_Canaday - Ecuador  3) Francisco_Enríquez - Ecuador



Genus Lamprospiza - 1 species

Tanager,_Red-billed_Pied   Lamprospiza melanoleuca Found: mainly Brazil; also Bolivia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname
The Red-billed Tanager has black and white plumage; red bill.
Image by: 1) Doug_Janson



Genus Mitrospingus

Tanager,_Dusky-faced  Mitrospingus cassinii  Found: Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Venezuela
The Dusky-face Tanager has dark gray upperparts; greenish-orange crown; black eye-mask; greenish-orange underparts. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.
Image by: 1) Dominic Sherony   2) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador


Tanager,_Olive-backed  Mitrospingus oleagineus  Found: Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela
Image by: 1) Brendan_Ryan - Venezuela



Genus Nemosia

Tanager,_Cherry-throated  Nemosia rourei   Found: Brazil
The Cherry-throated Tanager has ash-gray upperparts; pale gray crown; black forehead, mas,; wings, tail;cherry red bib; white rest of underparts.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Espírito_Santo


Tanager,_Hooded  Nemosia pileata  Found: South America
The male Hooded Tanager has blue-gray upperparts; black cap, sides of neck; white forehead, underparts; yellow eyes, legs. Female has buff sides of neck, breast.
Image by: 1, 3) Cláudio Timm - Paraná River border, Argentina  2) gjofili    4) Nick_Athanas - Brazil
1) Female  2, 3, 4) Male



Genus Neothraupis - 1 species

Tanager,_White-banded  also  Shrike-like Tanager Neothraupis fasciata  Found: central South America - mainly Brazil
The White-banded Tanager has mainly gray upperparts; some black on wing coverts; black mask; white throat; pale gray underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Brazil  2) Carlos_Henrique  3) Hector_Bottai - Brazil 



Genus Nesospingus - 1 species

Tanager_Puerto_Rican  Nesospingus speculiferus  Found: Puerto Rico
The Puerto Rican Tanager has olive-brown upperparts; white wing patch; whitish underparts.
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Gabriel



Genus Orchesticus - 1 species

Tanager,_Brown Orchesticus abeillei  Found: southeast Brazil
The Brown Tanager has mainly brown plumage; paler underparts; thick bill; dark eye-line
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi  2) Nick_Athanas  3) Brendan_Ryan



Genus Orthogonys - 1 species

Tanager,_Olive-green  Orthogonys chloricterus  Found: Brazil
The Olive-green Tanager has dull olive-green upperparts; yellower underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas  2) Claudio_Timm  3)Carlos_Henrique



Genus Parkerthraustes - 1 species

Grosbeak,_Yellow-shouldered  Parkerthraustes humeralis  Found: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
The Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak has olive-green upperparts; gray heads, underparts; black mask; yellow shoulder patch.
Image by: 1) Tony_Castro - Ecuador  2) Nick Athanas - Ecuador



Genus Paroaria
These members of the Thraupidae family are termed cardinals and are black upperparts, white underparts, and some red on the head.

Cardinal,_Crimson-fronted  Paroaria baeri  Found: Brazil
The Crimson-fronted Cardinal has black upperparts; reddish forehead, throat; white underparts.
Image by: 1)  Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Sebastian_Cal_Martins


Cardinal,_Masked  Paroaria nigrogenis  Found: northeast Columbia, Trinidad, northern Venezuela
The masked Cardinal has blackish upperparts; red head, throat; black mask; white collar, underparts.
Image by: 1, 3) Barloventomagico  2) birdphotos.com
1) Juvenile


Cardinal,_Red-capped  Paroaria gularis  Found: South America
The Red-capped Cardinal has red head; black upperparts, neck, area around eyes; white underparts.
Image by: 1, 3) Dick Daniels - the North Carolina Zoo   2) Sandy Cole - the North Carolina Zoo    4) Dick - San Diego Zoo


Tanager,_Red-cowled  Paroaria dominicana  Found: eastern Brazil
The Red-cowled Tanager has gray upperparts; red head; white underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas   2) Dario_Sanches  3) Bart van Dorp 


Cardinal,_Red-crested also Brazilian Cardinal  Paroaria coronata  Found: North America (escapee), South America, Hawaii
The Red-crested Cardinal has a white collar, red head, red throat, and red bib. It is found in northern Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and heavily degraded former forest.
Similar species: Yellow-billed Cardinal.  Red-crested Cardinal has a red bib which contrasts with the Yellow-billed Cardinal's black bib.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Hawaii  5) Cristiano Crolle - Esteros del Iberà, Argentina



Cardinal,_Yellow-billed Paroaria capitata   Found: South America, Hawaii
The Yellow-billed Cardinal has a white collar, red head, red throat, and black bib. It occurs in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and northern Argentina and introduced on the island of Hawai'i. It breeds in moist shrubland.
Similar species: Red-crested Cardinal.  Red-crested Cardinal has a red bib which contrasts with the Yellow-billed Cardinal's black bib.
Image by:  1) Dick Daniels - Hawaii  2) Gustavo_Duran - Argentina   3) Cristiano Crolle - Argentina  4) Nick_Athanas - Brazil  5) Charles_J_Sharp - Brazil




Genus Phaenicophilus

Tanager,_Black-crowned_Palm  Phaenicophilus palmarum  Found: Hispaniola and nearby islands.
The Black-crowned Palm Tanager has yellow-green upperparts; gray nape, flanks; white rest underparts, throat; black crown, mask; various white facial spots.
Image by: 1) Wwcsig  2) Ron_Knight


Tanager,_Gray-crowned_Palm  Phaenicophilus poliocephalus  Found: Haiti
The Gray-crowned Palm Tanager is similar to the Black-crowned Palm Tanager but has much less white on its underparts.
Image by: 1) Juan_Klavins



Genus Pipraeidea

Tanager,_Blue-and-yellow  Pipraeidea bonariensis  Found: South America
The male Blue-and-yellow Tanager has blackish or greenish back; blue head, wings; black in front of eyes; yellow underparts. Female has greenish-gray upperparts; buff underparts.
Image by:  1, 2, 4)  Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil  3, 5) Dario Sanches - Brazil 
1) Female  2) Juvenile male  3, 4, 5) Male



Tanager,_Fawn-breasted Pipraeidea melanonota   Found: South America
The Fawn-breasted Tanager has fawn (yellowish-brown) underparts; purple-blue back; pale blue crown, rump; black ear-to-ear strip. Female has blue-gray back;
Image by: 1) Nicolas_LeJeune  2, 3) Dario Sanches - Brazil   4) Nick Athanas - Argentina
1) Female  2, 3, 4) Male



Genus Ramphocelus
Found: Central America and South America
The ramphcoelus tanagers have silvery bills. The males are mainly black and red.

Tanager,_Black-bellied   Ramphocelus melanogaster  Found: Peru
Similar to: Silver-beaked Tanager. Male Black-bellied Tanager has red rump; Silver-beaked Tanager has black rump.
Iage by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Henry_Cook


Tanager,_Brazilian  Ramphocelus bresilius  Found: Brazil
The male Brazilian Tanager has mainly red plumage; black wings, tail; silvery bill. Female has brown back, head, neck; dark brown wings, tail; chestnut underparts, rump.
Image by:  1, 4, 6) Dario Sanches - Brazil  2, 5) Cláudio Timm  3) Nick_Athanas
1, 2, 3) Female   4) Juvenile Male  5, 6) Male



Tanager,_Cherrie's   Ramphocelus costaricensis  Found: Costa Rica, Panama
Similar to: Passerini's Tanager. The Cherrie's Tanager was formerly subspecies of Passerini's Tanager. Males are very similar. Female Cherrie's Tanager has grayer upperparts than female Passerini's Tanager.
Image by: 1) Nomdeploom - Costa Rica  2, 4) Francesco_Veronesi - Costa Rica  3) Becky_Matsubara - Costa Rica   5) Bryan Guarente - Costa Rica
1 - 3) Female  4, 5) Male



Tanager,_Crimson-backed  Ramphocelus dimidiatus  Found: South America
The Crimson-backed Tanager has bright crimson lower back, underparts, rump. Male has dull red head, upper back, upper breast; silver lower mandible. Female has reddish-brown head, upper back, upper breast; dull bill. It is found in Colombia, French Guyana, Panama, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.
Image by: 1)  Francesco Veronesi - El Valle, Panama  2) barloventomagico  3) Dominic Sherony - Fuerte Claiton, Panama  4. 5) Nick_Athanas - Panama

Tanager,_Crimson-collared  Ramphocelus sanguinolentus  Found: Mexico, Central America
The Masked Crimson Tanager has mainly black plumage; bright red head with black mask; bright red throat, upper-breast, rump.
Similar to: Masked Crimson Tanager. Crimson-collared Tanager and Masked Crimson Tanager ranges do not overlap,
 and Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Costa Rica  2) Jerry_Oldenettel - Costa Rica  3) John_Norton - Belize  4) Andy_Morffew - Costa Rica


Tanager,_Flame-rumped  Ramphocelus flammigerus  Found: South America
The male Flame-rumped Tanage has mainly black plumage; bluish bill with slight black tip; yellowish rump (R. f. icteronotus) or reddish rump (R. f. flammigerus). Female has dark brown head, back, wings, tail; yellow rump and underparts (R. f. icteronotus) or orange-red rump and underparts (R. f. flammigerus).
Image by: 1) Julian Londono  2) Alejandro_Tamayo  4) Dominic Sherony   3, 5) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador
1, 2, 3) Female  4, 5) Male



Tanager,_Masked_Crimson  Ramphocelus nigrogularis  Found: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
The Masked Crimson Tanager has black mantle, face, wings, tail, tail; rest bright red.
Similar to: Crimson-collared Tanager. Crimson-collared Tanager and Masked Crimson Tanager ranges do not overlap,
Image by: 1, 2) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador


Tanager,_Passerini's  also Scarlet-rumped Tanager  Ramphocelus passerinii  Found: Central America
The male Passerini's Tanager has red lower back and rump; black plumage otherwise; silver bill. Female has gray head; olive back, rump, underparts; brown wings, tail.
Similar to: Cherrie's Tanager. The Cherrie's Tanager was formerly subspecies of Passerini's Tanager. Males are very similar. Female Cherrie's Tanager has grayer upperparts than female Passerini's Tanager.
Image by:  1, 4) Dominic Sherony   2, 3) Jerry Oldenettel - Selva Verde Lodge, Costa Rica  3, 6) Nick_Athanas - Costa Rica
1, 2, 3) Female  4, 5, 6) Male



Tanager,_Silver-beaked Ramphocelus carbo  Found: South America
The male Silver-beaked Tanager has mostly black body; dark crimson throat and breast; sliver lower mandible; darker upper mandible. Female has brownish upperparts; reddish-brown underparts; dull silver bill. It occurs in light woodland and cultivated areas.
Similar to: Black-bellied Tanager. Male Black-bellied Tanager has red rump; Silver-beaked Tanager has black rump.
Image by: 1) Cláudio Timm - the Amazon, Brazil  2) Dominic Sherony  3) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador  4) Dick Daniels - Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle  5) Dario Sanches - Brazil   6, 7) Dick - Ecuador 
1, 2, 3) Female  3 - 7) Male




Genus Saltator

Grosbeak,_Black-throated  Saltator fuliginosus  Found: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay
The Black-throated Grosbeak has mainly dark gray plumage; black throat; red bill.
Image by: 1) Claudio_Timm  2) Carlos_Henrique - Brazil


Grosbeak, Slate-colored  Saltator grossus  Found: South America
The Slate-coloured Grosbeak has mostly slate-gray plumage; white throat; red bill (male); orange-red bill (female).
Image by: 1, 5) Nick Athanas - Ecuador  2) Dominic Sherony  3) José Loaizam - Ecuador 4) Jerry Oldenettel - Flores, Costa Rica
1, 2, 3) Female 4, 5) Male



Saltator,_Black-cowled  Saltator nigriceps  Found: Ecuador, Peru
The Black-cowled Saltator has mostly gray plumage; black hood; buff lower belly; red bill.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Jorge_Eduardo_Zarate_Cueva in Ecuador  2) Nick_Athanas


Saltator,_Black-headed  Saltator atriceps  Found: Central America
The Black-headed Saltator has yellowish-green upperparts; pale gray underparts; black head; white superciium; black bill; brown legs. It breeds from central Mexico to eastern Panama.
Image by:  1) Steve Garvie - near Arenal, Costa Rica  2) Dominic Sherony   3, 4, 5) Dick Daniels - Boquette, Panama



Saltator,_Black-throated  Saltator atricollis also Saltatricula atricollis Found: mainly Brazil; also Bolivia, Paraguay
The Black-throated Saltator has mainly brown upperparts; black face, throat; orange bill; whitish underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Bernard_Dupont - Brazil  3) Hector_Bottai  4) Nick Athanas - Brazil


Saltator,_Black-winged  Saltator atripennis  Found: Columbia, Ecuador
The Black-winged Saltator has bright olive back; black wings, crown, face, tail; wide white supercilium; white underparts.
Image by: 1) Julian_Londono - Columbia  2) Francesco_Veronesi - Ecuador  3, 4) Nick Athanas -Ecuador


Saltator,_Buff-throated  Saltator maximus  Found: southeastern Mexico to western Ecuador and northeastern Brazil
The Buff-throated Saltator has olive-green upperparts; gray head with greenish crown;; white supercilium; buff throat edged with black; gray underparts becoming buff over lower-belly.
Image by: 1) Jerry_Oldenettel - Costa Rica  2) Kathy_and_Sam - Costa Rica  3, 4) Nick Athanas - Ecuador, Costa Rica


Saltator,_Golden-billed Saltator aurantiirostris Found: South America
The Golden-billed Saltator has gray upperparts; buff underparts; black face; orange bill (male); brown bill (female); white throat with black ring below; light arc outlining face. 
Image by: 1, 2) Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil  3) Lip Kee - Argentina 4) Cristiano Crolle - El Palmar, Argentina  5) Amy McAndrews - Peru  6) Nick Athanas - Argentina 
1, 2) Female  3, 4, 5, 6) Male



Saltator,_Grayish  Saltator coerulescens  Found: South America
The Grayish Saltator has gray or greenish-gray upperparts; buff or cinnamon underparts; white stripe above and in front of eye; white throat.
Similar to: Green-winged Saltator. Green-winged Saltator has much longer white stripe over the eye.
Image by:  1, 2) Cláudio Timm - Paraná River border, Argentina  3, 4) Nick Athanas - Argentina


Saltator,_Green-winged  Saltator similis  Found: South America
The Green-winged Saltator has greenish-gray upperparts; infrequent white patch on back; buff underparts; broad white supercilium; white throat. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.
Similar to: Grayish Saltator. Green-winged Saltator has much longer white stripe over the eye.
Image by: 1) Carlos_Henrique  2, 3) Dario Sanches - Brazil 


Saltator,_Lesser_Antillean  Saltator albicollis  Found: Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antillean Saltator has olive-green upperparts; grayish head; white supercilium; black bill with reddish tip.
Similar to: Streaked Saltator. Lesser Antillian Saltator has reddish tipped bill; Streaked Saltator has all black bill.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - phillipbonsai  2) Erika Mitchell


Saltator,_Masked  Saltator cinctus  Found: Columbia, Ecuador, Peru
The Masked Saltator has dark bluish-gray upperparts; black face, breast-band; moslty white underparts;
Image by: 1) Carl Downing  1) _Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Dubi_Shapiro in Columbia


Saltator,_Orinoco  Saltator orenocensis  Found: Venezuela
The Orinoco Saltator has gray upperparts; broad white supercilium; black face; white throat; white underparts with buffy flanks and rump.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Columbia  2, 3, 4) Barloventomagico


Saltator,_Rufous-bellied  Saltator rufiventris  Found: southern Brazil; extreme northern Argentina
The Rufous-bellied Saltator has blue-gray upperparts, upper-breast; orange rest of underparts; white arc around face.
Image by: 1) Orbigny  2) Ron_Knight - Argentina


Saltator,_Streaked  Saltator striatipectus  Found: Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Panama, Peru, Venezuela
The Streaked Saltator has olive-green upperparts; large black bill; broken white eye-ring; small white supercilium; white underparts with streaks.
Similar to: Lesser Antillian Saltator. Lesser Antillian Saltator has reddish tipped bill; Streaked Saltator has all black bill.
Image by: 1) Julian_Londono - Columbia  2) Andres_Hernandez - Panama


Saltator,_Thick-billed  Saltator maxillosus  Found: southeast Brazil, Paraguay
The male Thick-billed Saltator has gray upperparts, head; long white supercilium; black and orange bill. Female has olive-green upperparts; buffy gray throat, underparts; white supercilium.
Image by: 1) Carlos Henrique de Almeida  2) Nick Athanas - Brazil  3, 4) Claudio_Timm



Genus Schistochlamys

Tanager,_Black-faced   Schistochlamys melanopis  Found: South America
The Black-faced Tanager has a mainly gray body; lighter underparts; black face, bib; black tipped bill with gray base.
Image by: 1,  2, 4) Dick Daniels - National Aviary  3) Sandy Cole- National Aviary


Tanager,_Cinnamon Schistochlamys ruficapillus  Found: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay
The Cinnamon Tanagef has gray upperparts, belly; cinnamon head, throat, breast; black frontal face patch.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Brazil  2) Nortondefeis  3) Claudio_Timm



Genus Sericossypha - 1 species

Tanager,_White-capped Sericossypha albocristata  Found: Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru
The White-capped Tanager has mainly glossy black plumage; striking white crown; reddish throat (pale in female).
Image by: 1) Dave_Curtis - Columbia  2) Nick_Athanas 3) Francesco_Veronesi - Columbai
1) Female 2, 3) Male  



Genus Stephanophorus - 1 species

Tanager,_Diademed  Stephanophorus diadematus  Found: South America
The Diademed Tanager has mainly purple-blue plumage; white rear-crown; red front-crown; black forehead, chin, wings, tail. it is found mostly in open areas in southern Brazil, northeast Argentina, and Uruguay. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Image by: 1) Andrebaptista - southeast Brazil  2, 3) Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil  4) Nick_Athanas - Brazil



Genus Tachyphonus

Tanager,_Flame-crested Tachyphonus cristatus  Found: South America
The male Flame-crested Tanager has mainly black plumage; red crest, throat. Female has brown upperparts; buff-ochre underparts.
Image by: 1) Hector_Bottai - Brazil  2) Nick_Athanas - Brazil 3) Dario_Sanches - Brazil
1) Female 2, 3) Male


Tanager,_Fulvous-crested Tachyphonus surinamus   Found: northern South America
The male Fulvous-crested Tanager has mainly glossy-black plumage; whitish pectoral tufts; rufous patch on the lower flanks. Female has olive upperparts; grayish head; yellow eye-ring; species variable underparts (grayish buff to yellowish buff).
Image by: 1) Neotropical_Birds_Online - Maxime Dechelle  2) Nick_Athanas - Columbia
1) Female 2) Male


Tanager,_Red-shouldered  Tachyphonus phoenicius  Found: northern South America
The male Red-shouldered Tanager has mainly black plumage; white shoulder patch with some red. Female has brownish-gray upperparts; dusky mask; grayish-white underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Barloventomagico   3) Fernando Flores
1) Female 2, 3) Male


Tanager,_Ruby-crowned  Tachyphonus coronatus  Found: South America
The male Ruby-crowned Tanager has black plumage; silver bill; hidden ruby crown patch. Female has chestnut plumage with gray tinge on head. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Image by:  1, 6) Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil  2, 3, 4, 5) Dario Sanches - Brazil
1, 2, 3) Female  4, 5, 6) Male



Tanager,_Tawny-creasted Tachyphonus delatrii  Found: Central America, Columbia, Ecuador
The male Tawny-creasted Tanager has mainly black plumage; tawny creast. Female has dark olive-brown plumage.
Image by: 1, 2) Nick_Athanas - Panama


Tanager,_White-lined Tachyphonus rufus  Found: Central and South America
The male White-lined Tanager has shiny black plumage; silver-black bill; long tail. Female is rufous. It is a resident breeder from Costa Rica south to northern Argentina, and on Trinidad and Tobago. It occurs in semi-open areas including gardens. White lining on the male's wings; hence the name, is hard to see.
Image by: 1) Shriram Rajagopalan - Trinidad  2, 4) Doug Janson  3) Dominic Sherony   5) Steve Garvie - Upper Arima Valley of Trinidad  6) Cristiano Crolle - El Palmar,, Argentina  7) Nick_Athanas - Venezuela
1) Pair  2) Female  3 - 6) Male


Tanager,_White-shouldered Tachyphonus luctuosus  Found: Hondoros south to northern South America
The male White-shouldered Tanager has mainly black plumage; white shoulder patch. Female has olive-green upperparts;  gray head; whitish throat; yellow underparts..
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador, Ecuador, Panama
1) T. l. panamensis 2) T. l. luctuosus 3) T. l. panamensis


Tanager,_Yellow-crested Tachyphonus rufiventer  Found: Bolivia, northeast Brazil, Peru
The male Yellow-crested Tanager has mainly black upperparts; black head with (often not visible) yellow crest; reddish underparts. Female has olive upperparts; ochre yellow underparts.
Image by: 1) Francisco_Piedrahita - Peru  2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - John_McKean - Peru



Genus Tersina - 1 species

Tanager,_Swallow  Tersina viridis  Found: Panama to northern Argentina
The male Swallow Tanager has mainly turquoise blue body; black face; white belly. Female has has green upperparts; yellowish-buff underparts.
Image by:  1) Carlos_Henrique  2, 3, 4, 5) Dario Sanches - Brazil  6) Sandy Cole - San Diego Zoo 
1, 2, 3) Female  4, 5, 6) Male




Genus Thlypopsis

Tanager,_Brown-flanked  Thlypopsis pectoralis   Found: Peru
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Ian_Davis


Tanager,_Buff-bellied  Thlypopsis inornata  Found: mainly in Peru, also extreme southern Ecuador
The Buff-bellied Tanager has buff-colored face, breasts, flanks. It found in semi-arid regions of the middle Marañón Valley in the north of the country
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Ian_Davis in Peru  2) Nick_Athanas - Peru 
1) Female 2) Male


Tanager,_Chestnut-headed  Thlypopsis pyrrhocoma  Found: ne Argentina, se Brazil, eastern Paraguay
The male Chestnut-headed Tanager has mainly gray plumage; lighter underparts; deep chestnut head; black mask. Female has mainly olive upperparts; dull rufous cap,
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Brazil  2) JQuental


Tanager,_Fulvous-headed  Thlypopsis fulviceps   Found: Columbia, Veneauela
The Fulvous-headed Tanager has gray upperparts; rufous head; whitish underparts.
Image by: 1) Fernando_Flores  2) Andres_Cuervo


Tanager,_Orange-headed Thlypopsis sordida  Found: South America
The Orange-headed Tanager has a yellowish-orange head; gray-brown upperparts; buff white underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Dario Sanches - Brazil


Tanager,_Rufous-chested Thlypopsis ornata  Found: Columbia, Ecuador, Peru
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador  2) Amy_McAndrews - Peru


Tanager,_Rust-and-yellow  Thlypopsis ruficeps  Found: Argentian, Bolivia, Peru
The Rust-and-yellow Tanager has rusty crown, nape; yellow underparts.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Fabrice Schmitt  2) Nick_Athanas - Peru
1) Pair



Genus Thraupis

Tanager,_Azure-shouldered  Thraupis cyanoptera  Found: near coast of Brazil, Paraguay
The Azure-shouldered Tanager has blue upperparts; lighter blue underparts; Azure-blue shoulder patch.
Similar to: Blue-gray Tanager; Sayaca Tanager. Only the Azure-shouldererd Tanager has azure-blue shoulder patch.
Image by: 1) Dario Sanches - Brazil  2) Nick_Athanas - Brazil  3) Aaron_Maizlish - Brazil


Tanager,_Black-headed   Tangara cyanoptera  Found: Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Venezuela
The Black-headed Tanager has black head, wings, tail; rest pale. Female has mainly green upperparts; dusky green crown, nape; mainly yellow underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Tony_Morris - Venezuela  3) Barloventomagico - Venezuela
1) Female 2, 3) Male


Tanager,_Blue-capped  Thraupis cyanocephala  Found: northern South America
The Blue-capped Tanager has olive-green upperparts; bright blue head; black mask (some species); grayish-blue underparts; yellow under-tail coverts.
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi - Columbia  2) Fernando Flores  3) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador  4) Fernando Flores - Venezuela


Tanager,_Blue-gray Thraupis episcopus   Found: Mexico to northern Brazil
The Blue-gray Tanager has darker blue upperparts; lighter blue underparts. Subspecies may be gray-blue and may have white wing patches.
Similar to: Azure-shouldered Tanager. Azure-shouldererd Tanager has azure-blue shoulder patch; Blue-gray Tanager does not.
Similar to: Sayaca Tanager. Blue-gray Tanager ranges Brazil and south; Sayaca ranges northern Brazil and north.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - Washington National Zoo  2) Dominic Sherony - Cusco, Peru   3) Dick - Boquette, Panama  4, 5, 6) Dick - National Aviary  7) Charlie Westerinen - Equitos Peru 8) Dick - Ecuador
2) Thraupis e. urubambae


Tanager,_Glaucous  Thraupis glaucocolpa  Found: Columbia, Venezuela
The Glaucous Tanager has blue and gray plumage; dark blue patch on primary coverts.
Similar to: Sayaca Tanager. Ranges of Glaucous and Sayaca Tanager do not overlap.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Venezuela  2, 3) Barloventomagico - Venezuela


Tanager,_Golden-chevroned Thraupis ornata  Found: Brazil
The Golden-chrevroned Tanager has a yellow mark on its shoulder (chrevron is a stripe on  a uniform sleve to indicate rank). It is predominantly blue.
Image by:  1, 4) Nick Athanas - Brazil  2) Dario Sanches - Brazil  3) Carlos_Henrique - Brazil
1) Female 4) Male


Tanager,_Golden-naped   Tangara ruficervix  Found: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
The Golden-naped Tanager has mainly blue plumage; black mask; golden patch on nape. It is the only primarily blue tanager with golden or reddish nape or crown patch.
Image by: 1) Doug_Janson  2) Francesco_Veronesi - Ecuador  3) Carlos_Henrique - Ecuador


Tanager,_Palm  Thraupis palmarum  Found: Central and South America
It occurs in semi-open areas including cultivation and gardens.
Image by:   1, 2) Dario Sanches - Brazil  3) Dominic Sherony   4) Dick Daniels - Ecuador  5, 6) Dick - Panama  7) Nick Athanas - Ecuador



Tanager, Sayaca  Thraupis sayaca  Found: South America  (Brazil is northern-most)
The Sayaca Tanager has blue-gray upperparts; blue wings; gray underparts. It is in Brazil, and Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeast Argentina.
Similar to: Azure-shouldered Tanager. Azure-shouldererd Tanager has azure-blue shoulder patch; Sayaca Tanager does not.
Similar to: Blue-gray Tanager. Blue-gray Tanager ranges Brazil and south; Sayaca ranges northern Brazil and north.
Similar to: Glaucous Tanager. Ranges of Glaucous and Sayaca Tanager do not overlap.
Image by: 1, 2) Dario Sanches - Brazil  3) Cláudio Timm - Brazil  4) Gustavo_Duran - Argentina


Tanager,_Yellow-winged   Thraupis abbas  Found: Mexico, Central America
The Yellow-winged Tanager has mainly gran and blue plumage; black tail; lavender tone on throat, breast; dusky green wings with bright yellow  patch.
Image by: 1) Dominic_Sherony - Mexico  2) Richard_Gibbons



Genus Trichothraupis - 1 species

Tanager,_Black-goggled  Trichothraupis melanops  Found: South America
The Black-goggled Tanager has tawny underparts; brownish-gray back and head. The male has black goggles; yellow crown stripe.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Dario Sanches - Brazil  5) Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil   4, 6) Nick_Athanas - Brazil
1 - 4) Female  5, 6) Male




Genus Wetmorethraupis - 1 species

Tanager,_Orange-throated  Wetmorethraupis sterrhopteron  Found: southeast Ecuador, northern Peru
The Orange-throated Tanager has mainly black upperparts; violet-blue wing coverts; orange throat; pale ochre-yellow underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas




Family Rhodinocichlidae

Genus Rhodinocichla - 1 species

Tanager,_Rosy_Thrush-  Rhodinocichla rosea  Found: Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela
The male Rosy Thrush-Tanager has brownish-black upperparts; pink to white eye-line; dusky-gray flanks; rest of underparts rosy. Female similar with red replaced by orange.
Image by: 1, 2)   Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Janet_Zinn



Family Spindalidae

Genus Spindalis

Spindalis,_Hispaniolan  Spindalis dominicensis  Found: Hiapaniola
The Hispaniolan Spindalis, Jamaican, and Puerto Rican Spindalis are all very similar in appearance and used to be considered one species. Their ranges do not overlap.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Dax_Roman


Spindalis, Jamaican   Spindalis nigricephala   Found: Jamaica
Image by:  1, 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Jamaica  5) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Sam_Woods
1, 2) Female  3, 4, 5) Male



Spindalis, Puerto Rican   also Puerto Rican Striped-headed Tanager   Spindalis portoricensis  Endemic to Puerto Rico
The male Puerto Rican Spindalis has green upperparts; orange neck, breast; black head with two white stripes - one below the eye and the other above. Female has a dull olive color lightly striped.
Image by: 1, 2) New Jersy Birds
1) Female 2) Male


Spindalis, Western   Spindalis zena   Found: Mexico, Florida (vagrant), Caribbean
The species is found in the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is a rare visitor of extreme southern Florida, where the subspecies zena successfully bred in 2009.
Image by: 1, 5) Laura Gooch  2) Blake Maybank - Cuba  3) Allan_Hopkins - Cuba  4) Dawn Scranton
1) Juvenile male  2, 3) Female  4, 5) Male




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