Loriotus cristatus
The Flame-crested Tanager, Loriotus cristatus, is a strikingly beautiful passerine endemic to the humid forests of northern South America. Males are instantly recognizable by their brilliant flame-orange to scarlet crest, often concealed but prominently displayed during courtship or alarm, contrasting with a jet-black mask around the eye and an otherwise olive-green body with a yellowish belly. Females are generally duller, possessing an olive crest and a less distinct facial mask, making sex...
Inhabits humid tropical lowland and foothill forests, typically found in the canopy or subcanopy, ranging from sea level up to 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) in elevation.
Primarily insectivorous, consuming a wide variety of insects and other arthropods gleaned from foliage; also supplements its diet with small fruits and berries.
Active throughout the day, the Flame-crested Tanager is predominantly arboreal, spending most of its time foraging in the upper canopy. It frequently joins mixed-species flocks, moving agilely through foliage, gleaning insects and other arthropods from leaves and branches with acrobatic precision...
The Flame-crested Tanager is widely distributed across northern South America, inhabiting a contiguous range that extends from eastern Colombia eastward through southern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Its distribution also stretches south into the northern Amazon basin of Brazil,...
Least Concern
- The male's striking flame-orange crest is often laid flat and hidden, only fully erected during moments of excitement, display, or alarm, making its sudden appearance a delightful surprise. - It is one of over 200 species within the incredibly diverse Tanager family (Thraupidae), known for thei...