Stilpnia cyanicollis
The Blue-necked Tanager (*Stilpnia cyanicollis*) is a dazzlingly colored passerine bird, renowned for its vivid, iridescent plumage that captivates birders across its South American range. Measuring 12-14 cm (4.7-5.5 inches) in length and weighing 14-22 grams (0.5-0.8 ounces), this relatively small tanager is instantly recognizable by its brilliant sky-blue to turquoise head and neck. A distinct black mask extends through its lores and eyes, contrasting sharply with the azure. Its upperparts ...
This tanager inhabits humid tropical and subtropical forests, preferring forest edges, clearings, and secondary growth. It is found from sea level up to 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) in elevation, occasionally higher in Andean regions.
The diet of the Blue-necked Tanager primarily consists of small fruits, such as berries and figs, supplemented by a significant intake of insects gleaned from foliage. Occasionally, they will also consume nectar.
Blue-necked Tanagers are highly active, diurnal birds that frequently join mixed-species foraging flocks, often forming a significant component alongside other tanagers and similar small passerines. These flocks typically move through the mid-canopy to subcanopy layers of the forest, where the ta...
The Blue-necked Tanager boasts an extensive geographic distribution across northern and central South America, being a resident species throughout its range. It extends from eastern Panama (Darién province) southward through Colombia and Venezuela, and eastward across the Guianas (Guyana, Surinam...
Least Concern
- The Blue-necked Tanager was once classified in the large *Tangara* genus, but recent genetic studies moved it to *Stilpnia*. - Its spectacularly colored blue head can appear purple or even greenish-blue depending on the angle of light, due to structural coloration. - This species is a frequent ...