Tangara mexicana
The Turquoise Tanager (Tangara mexicana) is a vibrantly colored passerine, instantly recognizable by its striking plumage. Measuring approximately 13-15 cm (5.1-5.9 inches) in length and weighing 18-28 grams (0.6-1 oz), it showcases a brilliant turquoise blue body, contrasted sharply with a distinct black mask across its eyes and black wings and tail. A key field mark is its bright yellow, yellowish-orange, or buffy-white lower belly and vent, a characteristic that varies geographically among...
Primarily found in humid tropical and subtropical forests, forest edges, clearings, secondary growth, plantations, and gardens. It typically inhabits lowlands, rarely ranging above 1000 meters (3,300 feet) in elevation.
Its diet consists primarily of fruits, especially small berries, supplemented significantly by insects and other arthropods gleaned from foliage or caught in flight.
The Turquoise Tanager is a diurnal and highly active bird, often seen foraging busily through the canopy and subcanopy of trees. It employs various foraging strategies, including gleaning insects from foliage and branches, and hawking flying insects on the wing. It is frequently observed joining ...
The Turquoise Tanager is resident across a vast expanse of tropical South America, displaying no significant migratory movements. Its extensive breeding and year-round range encompasses eastern Colombia, southern and eastern Venezuela, the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, and the Guianas...
Least Concern
- The Turquoise Tanager is one of the most widespread and commonly encountered tanagers across the Amazon Basin. - It belongs to the genus *Tangara*, which boasts over 50 species, making it one of the most speciose genera of birds. - Its bright coloration serves as a potential aposematic signal, ...