About the Moss-backed Tanager
The moss-backed tanager is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. It is a chunky, large-headed tanager with moss-green upperparts, dark blue-tinged dark green wings, olive green underparts, a bright golden yellow patch on the chest, and black head with shining blue sides. It is endemic to the Western Andes of western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador, where it inhabits dense, humid Pacific slope forests. It feeds on insects and fruit. It is classified as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its sufficiently large range and population.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The species is a chunky, large-headed tanager with a distinctive appearance. The upperparts and back mostly moss-green, with dark blue-tinged dark green wings. The underparts are mainly olive green with a yellowish hue, with a bright golden yellow patch in the middle of the chest. There is occasionally an indistinct yellow median line between the chest and belly. The head is black from the throat up to the central nape, with shining blue sides. The beak is stubby and bicolored, with a dusky upper mandible and yellow lower mandible. The eyes are brown and the legs are gray.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where the Moss-backed Tanager lives
When to see the Moss-backed Tanager
Peak activity in November · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Black-and-gold TanagerBangsia melanochlamysThe black-and-gold tanager is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae, which is endemic to Colombia.
Gold-ringed TanagerBangsia aureocinctaLike the other Bangsia tanagers, the gold-ringed tanager is a plump bird with a relatively short tail.
Blue-and-gold TanagerBangsia arcaeiThe blue-and-gold tanager is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae.
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