Heterospingus xanthopygius
The Scarlet-browed Tanager (*Heterospingus xanthopygius*) is a striking Neotropical songbird belonging to the Thraupidae family. Males boast a glossy black plumage contrasted by a vivid scarlet supercilium (brow) and a brilliant yellow rump and uppertail coverts, making it instantly recognizable even from a distance. Females are similar but often exhibit a slightly duller brow, leaning towards reddish-orange, and their black body plumage may have a more sooty-brown cast, while maintaining the...
Found primarily in humid submontane and foothill evergreen forests, its preferred habitats include forest borders, secondary growth, and clearings with scattered tall trees, typically at elevations ranging from 300 to 1400 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, consuming a variety of insects (such as beetles, ants, and caterpillars) and other arthropods, supplemented by small fruits.
This active, diurnal tanager is frequently observed foraging in the mid-story and canopy, often as a prominent member of mixed-species flocks, associating with antwrens, flycatchers, and other tanager species. Its foraging strategy involves actively gleaning insects and other arthropods from foli...
The Scarlet-browed Tanager is a resident species found in two main disjunct populations across Central and northern South America. The northern population occurs along the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica (extending to a few Pacific slope localities) and both Caribbean and Pacific slopes of Panama. ...
Least Concern
- The Scarlet-browed Tanager belongs to a small genus, *Heterospingus*, which contains only two known species, making it a relatively unique lineage within the vast tanager family. - Despite its vibrant coloration, it can be surprisingly difficult to spot in the dense forest canopy, often reveale...