Dacnis lineata
The Black-faced Dacnis, *Dacnis lineata*, is a dazzlingly colorful songbird belonging to the Thraupidae family, more commonly known as the tanagers. This small, active species measures approximately 11-12 cm (4.3-4.7 in) in length and weighs a mere 10-14 grams. It exhibits striking sexual dimorphism: the male is instantly recognizable by his brilliant black mask contrasting sharply with a vivid turquoise-blue crown, nape, back, and rump, black wings and tail, and a clean white lower breast an...
Found in tropical and subtropical humid lowland forests, forest edges, clearings with scattered trees, secondary growth, and riverine forests. Typically resides from sea level up to 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) elevation.
Primarily nectivorous, supplementing their diet with a variety of small insects and small fruits. They actively glean insects from foliage and probe flowers for nectar.
Black-faced Dacnises are diurnal and highly active birds, frequently observed foraging high in the forest canopy. They employ diverse foraging strategies, including gleaning insects from foliage, hovering to extract nectar from flowers, and occasionally hawking insects in flight. These birds are ...
The Black-faced Dacnis is a widespread resident throughout a vast portion of northern and central South America. Its breeding and year-round range extends from eastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, and northern Bolivia, eastward across Venezuela, the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, and Fren...
Least Concern
- The male Black-faced Dacnis exhibits one of the most dramatic examples of sexual dimorphism among neotropical birds, with his brilliant blue and black plumage starkly contrasting the female's muted greens. - Despite their common name sometimes linking them to 'honeycreepers' due to their diet, ...