A small, highly colorful, restless forest dweller who finds it very hard to stay still!
Meet the Brassy-breasted Tanager
The brassy-breasted tanager (Tangara desmaresti) is a mostly green to yellow bird with a vibrant blue forehead and eyering. A tiny bird of 13 cm in length, they weigh in at approximately 21 grams. The breast is orange, the flanks green, and the belly yellow. The bill and the area surrounding it are black along with a black patch on the throat.
“File:Tangara desmaresti.jpg” by https://www.flickr.com/photos/dariosanches/ (cropped) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Male and female Brassy-breasted tanager look very similar.
Juvenile birds look similar to adult birds though their plumage is somewhat duller.
“Brassy-breasted Tanager – Regua – Brazil_S4E1979” by fveronesi1 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
These birds are usually found at higher elevations between 800 to 1800 meters in coastal southeastern Brazil.
These birds are relatively common in the canopy and along the borders of montane forests and wooded areas. They can also be found in humid Atlantic forests and secondary-growth forests.
“saíra-lagarta / brassy-breasted tanager” by Bart vanDorp (cropped) is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Brassy-headed tanager dines on arthropods such as caterpillars, spiders, and plant hopper nymphs and fruit such as melastone berries.
“File:SAIRA-LAGARTA ( Tangara desmaresti).jpg” by Dario Sanches is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
During the breeding season the Brassy-breasted manager nests between January and February in Rio. Both sexes bring nesting material to the nest’s location, but only one builds the nest. The nest is built using twigs, lichen, bamboo leaves, and spider web silk. Eggs laid within are white, speckled with fine grey spots. The male may feed the female while she incubates the eggs which is thought to last 12 to 13 days.
“Brassy-breasted Tanager – Regua – Brazil_S4E1979” (cropped) by fveronesi1 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Considered to be fairly common, this species is not regarded as of Least Concern on the IUCN Red Least.
Hector Bottai is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
You can watch and listen to this bird right here in the video below:
