From Opus

Photo by Cedric K
Photo taken: Finca Dracula, Cerro Punta, Panama.

Tangara icterocephala

[edit] Identification

13 cm. Mainly yellow, black streaks down its back, whitish throat bordered above with a black malar stripe. The wings and tail are black with pale green edgings. The sexes are similar, but adult females have duller and greener-tinged yellow plumage, and sometimes dark mottling on the crown. Immatures are much duller and greener, with dusky wings, tail, back streaks and malar stripe, a grey throat and darker green wing edging.

[edit] Distribution

Costa Rica to western Ecuador.

[edit] Taxonomy

Three subspecies are recognized:^[1]

• T. i. frantzii - Costa Rica and western Panama
• T. i. oresbia - west-central Panama
• T. i. icterocephala - Darién region of Panama to west Colombia and extreme northwest Peru

[edit] Habitat

Lower and middle levels of wet mountain forests and adjacent semi-open areas such as clearings with shade trees, second growth and woodland edges.

[edit] Behaviour

It builds a compact cup shaped nest in a tree on a branch. 2 brown-blotched off-white eggs are laid. This species will raise two broods in a season.

The diet includes small fruit, which is swallowed whole, insects and spiders. They are usually found in pairs, small groups, or as part of a mixed-species feeding flock.

[edit] References

Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.

• List of references

[edit] External Links

• View movie-file of this species (in Picasa video format) here