Masked Mountain Tanager
Tephrophilus wetmorei
Scarce tanager found in stunted forest at treeline in the high Andes from central Colombia south through Ecuador, barely reaching Peru. Plumage is golden-yellow with a black face and throat; wings are black with some blue markings. Usually found in pairs or small groups that move furtively through the vegetation, often with mixed-species flocks.
Identification
The masked mountain tanager (Tephrophilus wetmorei) is a vulnerable species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is the only member of the genus Tephrophilus. This large and colourful tanager is endemic to elfin forest, woodland and shrub in the Andean highlands of southern Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru. It is generally rare or uncommon, and is threatened by habitat loss.
Taxonomy
The masked mountain tanager was formally described in 1934 by the American ornithologist Robert Thomas Moore from a specimen collected at the base of the Sangay volcano in Ecuador. He introduced a new monospecific genus Tephrophilus to give the binomial name Tephrophilus wetmorei. The generic name combines the Ancient Greek tephra meaning "ashes" (i.e. volcano) and philos meaning "-loving". The specific epithet was chosen to honour the ornithologist Alexander Wetmore. The species was subsequently placed in the genus Buthraupis but when a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found Buthraupis was polyphyletic, the masked mountain tanager was returned to the resurrected genus Tephrophilus. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Tephrophilus wetmorei
- Authority
- Moore, RT, 1934
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Tephrophilus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Large, beautiful blue macaw. Note the bare yellow eyering and base of lower mandible. Has a restricted range in caatinga scrub with licuri palms; roosts and breeds on cliffs. Gives a crowlike “greeee-ah” either in flight or perched.
Black-crested Tit-Tyrant
Anairetes nigrocristatus
Beautiful little flycatcher with a spiky crest found in the Andes of northern Peru, just barely reaching over the border into southern Ecuador. Male is quite distinctive with a solid black face, black-and-white streaking, and a long crest that sticks up in front of its white crown. Female and immature are grayer with less contrasting plumage and shorter crest; the orange bill might lead to confusion with Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant, but Black-crested lacks brown on the back and yellow on the belly. Very similar to Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant, but Black-crested has broader white tips to the tail; also note its more northern range. Inhabits scrub and light woodland, often giving squeaks and rapid trills.
White-winged Collared-Dove
Streptopelia reichenowi
A distinctive dove with a restricted range. The white wing patches are usually visible when perched, and become very conspicuous in flight. A white eye-ring is conspicuous at close range. Found locally in riverside scrub, thickets, and adjacent habitats. Similar overall to Ring-necked Dove, but separated by the white eye-ring, gray breast, and white wing patches. The song is a fast-paced, quickly repeated rolling series of cooing notes with a somewhat rough, churring quality.
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