- Chlorornis riefferii
Identification
20 cm
Unmistakable as the only large, bright green tanager in its range. Well named, with bright grassy green over the entire body except for a large rusty-orange mask and crissum, reddish-orange legs and beak. Sexes alike in appearance.
Juvenile duller with brown bill.
Distribution
South America: found on both slopes of the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Five subspecies are recognized1:
- C. r. riefferii:
- C. r. dilutus:
- Central Andes of northernPeru
- C. r. elegans:
- Andes of central Peru (Junín)
- C. r. celatus:
- Andes of extreme south-eastern Peru (Puno)
- C. r. bolivianus:
- Andes of western Bolivia (La Paz and Cochabamba)
Habitat
Upper subtropical and temperate forest, mostly humid to very wet; also at edges. Observed at heights around 1500-3350 m.
Behaviour
Characteristic horizontal perching posture.
Not easily alarmed; short flushing distance.
Diet
Often accompanies other tanagers in small flocks; fairly common and conspicuous, as it often comes into the open along forest margins to forage for fruits and insects among the branches and brush of small trees.
Breeding
Builds nest from mosses and ferns.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved May 2014)
- Restall et al. 2006. Birds of Northern South America. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300124156
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Grass-green Tanager. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 September 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Grass-green_Tanager
