White-lined Tanager
Tachyphonus rufus
Large tanager with strikingly different male and female plumages. Male is all black; the white shoulder patch is rarely visible, and even then it’s just a sliver. Compare with White-shouldered Tanager, which always shows a bold white shoulder patch. Female is uniformly rufous with no distinguishing features. On both sexes, look for the stout pointed bill. Usually found in pairs, sometimes following a mixed-species flock. Not a forest bird; look for it in more open areas, shrubby edges, and second growth.
Identification
The adult white-lined tanager is 18.5 cm (7.3 in) long and weighs 33 g (1.2 oz). It has a long tail and a mostly black stout pointed bill. The adult male is glossy black, apart from white underwing coverts and a small white patch on the upperwing. These white areas are conspicuous in flight but otherwise rarely visible. Females and immatures are entirely rufous in plumage, somewhat paler below.
Taxonomy
The white-lined tanager was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in 1779 in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux from specimens collected in Cayenne, French Guiana. The female bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text. Neither the plate caption nor Buffon's description included a scientific name but in 1783 the Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert coined the binomial name Tangara rufa in his catalogue of the Planches Enluminées. The white-lined tanager is now placed in the genus Tachyphonus and was introduced by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1816 with the white-lined tanager as the type species. The name combines the Ancient Greek words takhus "fast" and phōneō "to speak". The specific rufus is Latin for "red", "ruddy" or "rufous". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Tachyphonus rufus
- Authority
- (Boddaert, 1783)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Tachyphonus
Range and habitat
It occurs in semi-open areas including gardens.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
In the breeding season, the male displays the white spots which he has under his wings, opening them and closing them before in front of the female. The bulky cup nest is built in a tree or shrub, and the female incubates three, sometimes two, brown-blotched cream eggs for 14–15 days. This species has, on average, two broods per season. They appear to be territorial, as only one nesting pair is usually seen in an area. They rarely join mixed feeding flocks. The white-lined tanager's song is a fast repetitive cheeru.<p>These are restless but unwary birds which eat a wide variety of fruit, especially epiphytes. They also take some nectar and insects, including beetles, ants, and grasshoppers.<p>Local names in Trinidad and Tobago include 'Parson' (for the male), and 'Singing Angel'; on these islands, the species is highly valued for its whistling ability.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Pink-backed Pelican
Pelecanus rufescens
Small by pelican standards, though still a very large bird! Adult is mostly pale gray with a pinkish bill and (in breeding plumage) a gray crest. Immature darker gray. Found in many wetland habitats with open water, including lakes, ponds, and coastal lagoons. Usually in small groups. Often confused with Great White Pelican, but Pink-backed is much smaller. In flight, the outer wing is dark gray rather than black, and it contrasts much less with the pale portions of the wing.
Cliff Flycatcher
Hirundinea ferruginea
This unmistakable long-winged flycatcher is widespread (though rarely very numerous) throughout much of South America. As the name implies it occurs around cliffs, landslides, and even buildings. Medium size, warm rufous coloration (brightest on the wings), and habitat are distinctive. Some variation across range, with birds in the Andes having more whitish speckling on the face. Compare with Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant, which is larger and has a streaked throat. Usually seen singly or in pairs, perched conspicuously on a snag, rock face, powerline, or building.
White-throated Kingfisher
Halcyon smyrnensis
Large-headed, predominantly brown kingfisher with electric-blue back and wings, heavy red bill, and snow-white patch from the throat through the breast. Common both near and away from water; frequently seen perched on fence posts and telephone lines near wetlands, lakes, agricultural fields, and clearings. Gives jarring, raptor-like descending trills and cackles, often in flight.
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