Brazilian Tanager

A beautiful ghostlike bird that materializes in large numbers during rice harvest and bamboo seeding events, and promptly vanishes afterwards. Male is leaf green with a blue face and reddish belly. Female has a more faded blue face and lacks the red belly. Both sexes have a point-tipped tail, but the male’s is substantially longer. Forages in flocks, often dangling off of bamboo tips or seeding rice heads, giving high thin “tseep” notes.

Large seabird of inshore waters, often seen from beaches but not usually up close. Adult has streaky brown-and-white neck and bright blue feet. Immature has dusky brownish head and neck and grayish feet. All plumages told from Brown Booby by white at the base and tip of the tail. Typically flies and soars fairly high up. Feeds by spectacular, steep-angle plunge-dives. Breeds locally in colonies on offshore islands, nesting on the ground. Most well-known from the Galapagos but occurs extensively along the Pacific coast of Middle and South America, especially in the Gulf of California.

Breeding male is bright yellow, female is duller yellow, and non-breeding plumages are duller still. Has a reddish eye in all plumages. Breeds in and around reedbeds, but ranges widely into surrounding savanna and woodland. Vocalizations are typical of weavers: “chet” notes and a sizzling, “radio static” song. Other golden-weavers are similar, but never show reddish eyes.