Ramphocelus flammigerus
The Flame-rumped Tanager (Ramphocelus flammigerus) is a strikingly beautiful passerine, a jewel of the Colombian Andes. Males are instantly recognizable by their glossy, velvety black plumage contrasted with a brilliant, fiery orange-red rump, lower back, and uppertail coverts. They measure approximately 18-19 cm (7-7.5 inches) in length and weigh between 26-37 grams. A distinctive bicolored bill, black on the upper mandible and silvery-white to bluish-white on the lower, serves as a key iden...
Found primarily in humid and semi-humid montane forests, forest edges, clearings, secondary growth, and coffee plantations, typically at elevations between 600-2,000 meters (2,000-6,500 feet).
Their diet consists mainly of a diverse range of fruits, particularly berries, supplemented by insects such as beetles, ants, and caterpillars, and occasionally nectar.
Flame-rumped Tanagers are diurnal and active foragers, often seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups, occasionally joining mixed-species flocks. Males establish and defend territories with persistent singing from prominent perches. They are thought to be socially monogamous, with both paren...
The Flame-rumped Tanager is endemic to the western and central Andes of Colombia, making its entire natural distribution confined within this South American nation. Its breeding range encompasses the Pacific slope of the Western Andes and both slopes of the Central Andes. This includes areas exte...
Least Concern
- The scientific name *Ramphocelus flammigerus* directly translates to "flame-bearing rampho-bird," perfectly describing the male's fiery rump. - Males' striking bicolored bills, black above and silvery-white below, are a distinctive trait shared across the vibrant *Ramphocelus* genus. - Despite ...