Swallow Tanager (Tersina viridis)

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

swallow-tanager
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Amazonia Brazil

swallow-tanager
Age: Adult | Sex: Female | Loc. Eastern Colombia

swallow-tanager
Age: Adult & Immature | Sex: Male | Loc. Eastern Colombia

swallow-tanager
Age: Adult | Sex: Female | Loc. Eastern Colombia


Identification & Behavior: ~15 cm (6 in). The male Swallow Tanager is opalescent blue with a black mask and throat and white center of the belly. It has fine dusky barring on the flanks. The female is green with yellow belly and dusky barring on the sides of the belly and flanks. The immature is similar to a female. It is highly frugivorous and feeds mostly in the canopy of mature forest and second growth. It is similar to a Paradise Tanager but is distinguished by blue upperparts.

Status: The Swallow Tanager is fairly common and widespread in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 1500 m along the foothill of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Azulejo Golondrina.

Sub-species: Swallow Tanager (Tersina viridis occidentalis), (P. L. Sclater), 1855.

Meaning of Name: Tersina: L. tarsus, tergere = neat, clean, to clean. viridis: L. viridis, virere= green, to be green.

See more of the Family Thraupidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
swallow-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.