Burnished-buff Tanager
Stilpnia cayana
A common tanager of savannas, forest borders, woodlands, and gardens. Often seen in pairs or with other species at fruiting trees, but usually not with mixed-species flocks. Males have a black face, throat, breast, and belly that is flanked by buffy sides. The crown and back are also buff and the wings and tail are dark-green. Females are buffy below with greenish back and wings, a pale throat, and a faint mask. The northern subspecies has a black mask (lacking the black throat and belly) with a violet gray throat and buffy belly.
Identification
There are several subspecies of the burnished-buff tanager, them falling into two main groups: The northern and western cayana group, and the southern and eastern flava group (the subspecies huberi from Marajó Island is intermediate between the two main groups). Males of the cayana group have an orange-rufous crown, black mask, and cream underparts distinctly tinged blue on the throat and chest. Males of the flava group have an orange-buff crown, and buff underparts with a black patch extending from the mask, over the throat and central chest, to the mid-belly. Males of both groups have turquoise wings and tail. Females are duller than the males, and have black restricted to a poorly demarcated "shadow" of a mask.
Taxonomy
The burnished-buff tanager was formally described in 1766 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the 12th edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Tanagra cayana. The specific epithet is the Latin form of the type locality, Cayenne in French Guiana. The burnished-buff tanager was formerly placed in the genus Tangara. It was moved to the genus Stilpnia that was introduced in 2016.<p>Seven subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Stilpnia cayana
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Stilpnia
Range and habitat
It is found in the northern Guianas, most of Venezuela and east-central Colombia; also near the Amazon River outlet in Brazil, as well as most of the east of that country, Paraguay and northeast Argentina. It also occurs very locally in Bolivia and Peru. It can be seen in virtually any semi-open habitat with trees, including human-altered habitats such as gardens, plantations and parks.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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