Fawn-breasted Tanager (Rauenia melanonota)

Order: Passeriformes  | Family: Thraupidae IUCN Status: Least Concern

fawn-breasted tanager
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Ancash

fawn-breasted tanager
Age: Adult | Sex: Female | Loc. Huanuco

fawn-breasted tanager
Age: Adults | Sex: Male | ?? | Loc. Huanuco | Manu Road

juvenile fawn-breasted tanager
Age: Juvenile | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Manu Road, Cuzco


Identification & Behavior: ~14 cm (5.5 in). The Fawn-breasted Tanager has bluish upperparts (black mantle in the male) and blue top of the head. The underparts are buffy. It has a black mask through the eye and a red iris. Both sexes are similar but the male has more saturated colors. It forages in a variety of semi-open habitats, forest edges, and scrub. The Fawn-breasted Tanager is similar to the Chestnut-breasted Mountain- Tanager but is distinguished by buffy underparts, no black malar stripe, and by foraging in forest edges and semi-open habitats. Also, see Golden-rumped Euphonia.

Status: The Fawn-breasted Tanager is uncommon to rare in semi-open habitats, scrub, and forest edges on the east and west (South to Lima) slopes of the Andes at elevations ranging between 1000-3000 m. The sightings recorded in Amazonia may belong to Austral migrants. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Tangara de Pecho Anteado.

Sub-species: Fawn-breasted Tanager (Rauenia melanonota venezuelensis), (P. L. Sclater), 1857.

Meaning of Name: Rauenia: After ornithologist Rauenia Wolters. melanonota: Gr. melas, melanos= black and notos, noton= back, backed.

See more of the Family Thraupidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
fawn-breasted_tanagerVoice


References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 03/01/2016.