Lemon-spectacled Tanager
Chlorothraupis olivacea
Chunky tanager, unlikely to be mistaken within limited range from eastern Panama to extreme northwest Ecuador. Mostly dull olive with brighter yellow throat and bold yellow spectacles. Note its stout bill. Sexes similar. Prefers the interior of humid lowland forest, up to around 400 m. Typically found in small groups or pairs in the understory to middle levels, often with mixed-species flocks. Often detected by its loud squeaky chatters.
Identification
The adult lemon-spectacled tanager is about 17 cm (6.7 in) in length. It is very similar in appearance to the olive tanager but the male is a rather darker shade of dull olive-green with the underparts have less yellow on the throat. The female is also similar to the female olive tanager, the underparts being yellowish-olive, and the only clear distinction between the two species is in the yellow eye-ring, possessed by both sexes of this species; the lemon-spectacled tanager also resembles the ochre-breasted tanager, but that bird has a pale eye and the underparts are more ochraceous. The three species do not share common ranges; the lemon-spectacled tanager is native to western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador, the ochre-breasted tanager occurs at higher elevations, and the olive tanager occurs further south in the eastern foothills of the Andes in southern Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, with a disjunct population in Central America.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Chlorothraupis olivacea
- Authority
- (Cassin, 1860)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Chlorothraupis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The lemon-spectacled tanager frequents the understorey of lowland wet forests and forest edges, seldom moving above 800 m (2,600 ft) and usually staying below 400 m (1,300 ft). It often occurs in groups of up to four birds, but sometimes forms part of small mixed flocks where it often appears to be the flock leader. It is a noisy species with a loud call, often a rapidly repeated "treu-treu-treu-treu". It feeds on insects and some plant matter.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Mouse-colored Sunbird
Cyanomitra veroxii
Large, gray sunbird with a long, down-curved bill. The wings and tail are blackish, while the underparts are paler than the back. Can show red tufts on the shoulders, though these are usually concealed. Found in forest, mangroves, and scrub at low elevations, mostly near the coast. Most distinctive vocalization is a short series of “chyep” notes that usually goes up then down. Olive Sunbird is similar, but Mouse-colored Sunbird is gray rather than olive-green.
Chestnut-vented Nuthatch
Sitta nagaensis
Typical nuthatch; small bird with a wedge-shaped head, usually seen clambering around on trees. Gray above and white below, with a thin black line extending from the bill base to the shoulder. Deep rust red on the flanks and red-edged scaling under the tail serve to distinguish this otherwise plain species from similar nuthatches. Active and social, often following mixed flocks. Inhabits both broadleaf and coniferous forests in foothill and submontane areas. Listen for its song, a loud ringing series of trills. Calls include nasal caws, a bright-sounding “pewpewpew,” and high-pitched chittering.
Black-chinned Weaver
Ploceus nigrimentus
A black-backed weaver with a yellow rump and different-looking sexes: the female has a black hood and throat, and the male has a yellow-orange forehead, crown, nape, and neck, with black restricted to the face and throat. An uncommon resident in open bushy savanna with isolated patches of forest between 500 and 1500 meters of elevation, often in disjunct populations. Gives harsh “chittick” calls and a short song that reportedly sounds like “whit-pu pui trrr pui.” Baglefecht Weaver looks superficially similar to Black-chinned, but it always has a yellow throat.
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