Iridosornis analis
The Yellow-throated Tanager (*Iridosornis analis*) is a striking medium-sized songbird, typically measuring 14-15 cm (5.5-6 inches) in length and weighing around 21-26 grams (0.74-0.92 oz). Its most distinctive field mark is a brilliant, almost iridescent, golden-yellow throat and upper chest, which contrasts sharply with its deep violet-blue crown, nape, and ear-coverts. The remainder of its plumage is predominantly a rich sooty-black or dark blue-black, often with a subtle, paler blue or ye...
This species primarily inhabits humid montane cloud forests, forest edges, and secondary growth woodlands. It is typically found at elevations ranging from 1,200 to 2,500 meters (3,900 to 8,200 feet).
This omnivorous tanager feeds primarily on insects, which it gleans from leaves and branches, and small fruits. Nectar from various flowering plants also constitutes a significant portion of its diet.
The Yellow-throated Tanager is a diurnal bird, actively foraging from mid-morning through late afternoon within the forest's mid-story and canopy. It employs a foraging strategy of gleaning insects from foliage and bark, while also frequently probing flowers for nectar and small arthropods. This ...
The Yellow-throated Tanager is endemic to the humid montane forests of the northern Andes in western South America. Its distribution extends from a small, rare population in southwestern Colombia (Nariño department) through the majority of western and eastern Ecuador, and south into northern Peru...
Least Concern
- The Yellow-throated Tanager is one of only four species in the *Iridosornis* genus, all renowned for their exquisite, iridescent plumages. - Despite its bright yellow throat, it can be surprisingly elusive, often detected by its distinctive calls before it's spotted in the dense cloud forest un...