Pipraeidea melanonota
The Fawn-breasted Tanager (Pipraeidea melanonota) is a striking member of the Thraupidae family, known for its vibrant yet subtle coloration. Measuring approximately 13-14.5 cm in length and weighing 19-25 grams, adults exhibit a distinctive blue-gray plumage across the crown, nape, back, and wings, contrasted by a bold black mask encompassing the lores and ear-coverts. Its most characteristic feature, giving it its name, is the rich fawn-rufous coloring on the throat, breast, and flanks, whi...
This species primarily inhabits humid montane forests, forest edges, and clearings within subtropical and tropical zones, preferring elevations typically between 1,000 and 2,600 meters.
Its diet primarily consists of various arthropods, including insects and spiders, supplemented significantly by small fruits and berries gleaned directly from trees and shrubs.
The Fawn-breasted Tanager is a diurnal and active species, frequently observed in the mid-story and canopy layers of its forest habitat. It employs a foraging strategy that primarily involves gleaning insects and spiders from foliage and branches, often augmented by short aerial sallies to hawk f...
The Fawn-breasted Tanager boasts a wide yet disjunct distribution across South America. The Andean population, *Pipraeidea melanonota venezuelensis*, spans from the coastal mountains of northern Venezuela, south through the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, extending into northwester...
Least Concern
- The Fawn-breasted Tanager is the sole species in its genus, *Pipraeidea*, making it a unique branch in the diverse tanager family tree. - It often acts as a nuclear species, attracting other bird species to join its foraging movements, forming large mixed-species flocks. - Despite its relativel...