Bird Guide

Flame-faced Tanager vs Turquoise Tanager

Flame-faced Tanager (Tangara parzudakii)

Flame-faced Tanager

Tangara parzudakii

Small28 gForest

The flame-faced tanager is a distinctive-looking medium-sized species of tanager, being on average 14–15 cm (5.5–5.9 in) in length and 28 g (0.99 oz) in mass. Both sexes of the species look similar. The body is mostly black and silvery green. The auricle, malar surface, and forecrown is deep red, while the crown and nape are yellow. The underparts are mostly opalescent green mixed with buff. The central belly is pale cinnamon buff, while the flanks and undertail coverts are darker. The lower back and rump are opalescent golden, frequently with a bluish tinge.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Alina Martin · CC BY 4.0
Turquoise Tanager (Tangara mexicana)

Turquoise Tanager

Tangara mexicana

Small21 gForest

Adult turquoise tanagers are 14 cm (5.5 in) long and weigh 20 g. They are long-tailed and with a dark stout pointed bill. The adult is mainly dark blue and black, with turquoise edging to the primaries. Most races have yellow lower underparts, but this is paler, more cream, in the nominate subspecies found in north-eastern South America. The Trinidadian race, T. m. vieiloti, has a darker blue head and breast and more vividly yellow underparts than the mainland taxa. Their song is a fast squeaky chatter tic-tic-tic-tic-tic.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Bruno Luka de Souza Bambirra Silveira · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Flame-faced Tanager and Turquoise Tanager.