Red-billed Pied Tanager
Lamprospiza melanoleuca
The Red-billed Pied Tanager (Lamprospiza melanoleuca) is a rare mitrospingid tanager found in 6 countries, weighing about 34 g. The red-billed pied tanager is a species of bird in the family Mitrospingidae.
About the Red-billed Pied Tanager
The red-billed pied tanager is a species of bird in the family Mitrospingidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru and Suriname. Placed in family Thraupidae, the "true" tanagers, for over two centuries, the International Ornithological Committee reclassified this species to Mitrospingidae in 2018.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The red-billed pied tanager is 17 to 18 cm (6.7 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 24 to 42 g (0.85 to 1.48 oz). The male's head and upper parts are glossy blue-black, its throat and chest black, and the rest of the underparts white. The female is similar but the nape, back, and rump are gray. Both have the eponymous red bill. The juvenile is quite different; it has a black bill and head. Its upper back is white and the lower back mottled black and white. The underparts are white with some black mixed in. Voice: The red-billed pied tanager's song is complex, "a semi-musical but jumbled series". Flocks give a call rendered as "ééé-ééh...ééé-ééé-ééh...ééé-ééh-yuu...".
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, with peak activity in July. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Red-billed Pied Tanager?
- The red-billed pied tanager is 17 to 18 cm (6.7 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 24 to 42 g (0.85 to 1.48 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Red-billed Pied Tanager?
- The Red-billed Pied Tanager is a small sized bird weighing about 34 g.
- Where can you see a Red-billed Pied Tanager?
- The Red-billed Pied Tanager occurs in 6 countries, including Brazil, Peru, Suriname, Bolivia and French Guiana.
- What birds look similar to a Red-billed Pied Tanager?
- The Red-billed Pied Tanager is most easily confused with the Olive-backed Tanager, the Olive-green Tanager and the Dusky-faced Tanager.
- Is the Red-billed Pied Tanager endangered?
- The Red-billed Pied Tanager is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Red-billed Pied Tanager for real
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