Inti Tanager
Heliothraupis oneilli
A remarkable new species of tanager described to science in 2021. It breeds in and around the Machariapo Valley in western Bolivia from roughly November to March, then disperses northward along the east slope of Andes into southern Peru. Both sexes have yellow-olive plumage and pinkish-orange bill. Male is very striking with a black stripe above the eye and a bushy, golden crest that can be raised or lowered. Female lacks the crest and eye stripe and might be confused with female Summer Tanager, but bill is brighter and more orangey. Inhabits forest that has a large amount of bamboo in the understory. Song, given from an elevated perch, is a jaunty up-and-down series that could be roughly transcribed as “pretty bird, pretty bird…” or “so pretty, so pretty…” It only sings on its breeding grounds, and is otherwise very shy, secretive and hard to see.
Identification
This is a brightly colored bird with yellow plumage in both sexes, a black supercilium, and a salmon-colored bill. Male birds display a short, bushy crest that can be either raised or flattened. The yellow underwing coverts are unique among the Thraupidae. Morphologically, this bird resembles members of both Cardinalidae and Thraupidae, and only genetic analysis proved that it belonged with the latter.
Taxonomy
The first proper observation of this species was made in 2000, when it was discovered in its nonbreeding habitat on a birding tour along the Kosñipata Road in Cuzco department, Peru. Individuals were sighted again in 2003 and 2004 in the same area. Little of the bird's natural history was known until December 2011, when a breeding population of tanagers was discovered in La Paz department, Bolivia. The species was studied at this site over the following decade, and finally described in 2021.<p>The Inti tanager is thought to be closely related to the black-goggled tanager (Trichothraupis melanops), to which it is the sister species; however, due to its distinctive plumage, it was classified in a different genus from Trichothraupis. The grey-headed tanager (Eucometis penicillata) is thought to be sister to the clade comprising both.<p>The species is named after the Incan sun god Inti, as a reference to its bright yellow plumage and its tendency to sing late into the morning when the sun is higher in the sky. The specific epithet references renowned ornithologist John P. O'Neill, who had previously described the orange-throated tanager (Wetmorethraupis sterrhopteron), another monotypic genus of Peruvian tanager. Prior to its description, it was referred to as the San Pedro tanager or "Kill Bill tanager", the latter being a reference to Uma Thurman's yellow jumpsuit in the 2003 movie Kill Bill.<p>Its distinctive appearance and the monotypic status of its genus, which was recognized as soon as it was being studied, makes it unique among other recently-described birds, most of which are cryptic species and closely related to previously-described bird species.
- Scientific name
- Heliothraupis oneilli
- Authority
- Lane, Aponte, Rheindt, Rosenberg, GH, Schmitt, CJ & Terrill, 2021
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Heliothraupis
Range and habitat
Unusually for tanagers, this species is a migratory one, breeding in the Machariapo Valley north of Apolo, Bolivia, and having a much wider nonbreeding range on the eastern slope of the Andes in southern Peru. Despite its elusiveness and being described only recently, its nonbreeding range includes the region around the Kosñipata Road, which borders Manu National Park and is one of the ornithologically best-studied sites in Peru.<p>This species breeds in semi-deciduous forests, and likely depends on bamboo and bamboo-like grasses, such as those of the genus Guadua, for optimal breeding conditions. In its nonbreeding range it is thought to inhabit the transition between rainforest and cloud forest, and it has also been seen at patches of Guadua bamboo here.
- Breeding range
- SA : lower yungas in nw Bolivia (Machariapo Valley, Dpto. La Paz)
- Non-breeding range
- Lower yungas in se Peru (Kosñipata road, Dpto. Cusco)
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
This species has a loud and distinctive song made by both females and males. This singing usually begins late in the morning, well after the dawn chorus of most other birds has finished, and lasts well into the heat of the day when most other birds have stopped calling.<p>This species is thought to be highly elusive in spite of its distinctive appearance and calls, which is why so few surveys have detected it until recent years.
Conservation
Despite being little-known, this species' habitat has been disturbed little by human activity and large amounts of its habitat are inaccessible to humans, so it is not thought to currently be seriously threatened. However, potential plans by China to build a road between Cuzco and La Paz may bring large amounts of colonizers, which could lead to deforestation in breeding habitat. However, it has been recommended that the species be classified as Data Deficient due to the lack of info on population size, trends, and distribution.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Pachycephala tenebrosa
A rather small, mostly drab passerine. Male has a brownish-olive body with a darker hood and chest and a thick dark bill. Female is mostly drab brownish-olive. Dwells on the ground and in forest understory in deep primary forest. Similar to Dusky White-eye but larger, with a thicker bill. Smaller and paler than Micronesian Starling, with a dark eye. Song includes a varied mix of whistler-like staccato chirps, whistles, and rasps.
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Ploceus castaneofuscus
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Rufous-tailed Lark
Ammomanes phoenicura
A plain, relatively well-proportioned lark which is brownish above and rufous below, with streaks on the breast. The bill is conical and heavy, and the long wings impart a slender appearance. Inhabits open areas with scrub and rocky landscapes. Often solitary or in pairs, foraging busily on the ground and often perching on high mounds or on wires. The pleasant song consists of short whistles and liquid trilling notes.
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