Paradise Tanager (Tangara chilensis)

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

paradise_tanager
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. San Martin, Peru


Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Amazonia, Brazil

paradise_tanager
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. San Martin, Peru

paradise_tanager
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Amazonia, Colombia


Identification & Behavior: ~14 cm (5.5 in). The Paradise Tanager is black above with a lime-green head. The throat is blue and grades to bright sky blue on the underparts. The center of the belly is black. The rump is bright red (chilensis) or red and yellow (chlorocorys). It forages in the canopy in pairs or family groups often along with mixed species flocks. Its brightly colored plumage is unmistakable but see the Swallow Tanager.

Status: The Paradise Tanager is fairly common and widespread in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 1600 m along the foothill of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Tangara del Paraíso.

Sub-species: Paradise Tanager (Tangara chilensis chlorocorys), J. T. Zimmer, 1929.  N Peru (upper Huallaga Valley).
(Tangara chilensis chilensis), (Vigors), 1832.  S & SE Colombia (W slope of E Andes in upper Magdalena Valley, in Huila; and Caquetá, Putumayo and Amazonas) S to E Ecuador, E Peru and Bolivia (S to Santa Cruz), and E through W Brazil (E to Rondônia, SE Amazonas E Mato Grosso and SE Pará).

Meaning of Name: Tangara: Tupí name, Tangara= dancer, one who turns and skips, originally used for the manakins, but subsequently (Marcgrave 1648) transferred to other bright finch-like birds.
chilensis: After the country of Chile.

See more of the Family Thraupidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
paradise_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.