Swallow Tanager
Tersina viridis
The Swallow Tanager (Tersina viridis) is a uncommon tanager found in 15 countries, weighing about 29 g. The swallow tanager is a species of Neotropic bird in the tanager family Thraupidae.
About the Swallow Tanager
The swallow tanager is a species of Neotropic bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is the only member of the genus Tersina. It is found widely throughout South America, from eastern Panama to far northern Argentina. The species is sexually dimorphic: the female is a yellow-green and the male a turquoise blue with a small deep black face and upper throat patch.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The swallow tanager is 14.5–15 cm (5.7–5.9 in) in length with a broad flat bill. This bird is strongly sexually dimorphic. The male is bright turquoise blue with a black face and throat. The turquoise flanks have black barring and the lower belly is white. The female is bright green with dusky-olive barring on the flanks. She lacks the black face mask. They are gregarious but do not associate with other species. They mainly eat fruit but they will also sally after insects from an exposed perch.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Curaçao.
When to see it
The Swallow Tanager can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Swallow Tanager?
- The swallow tanager is 14.5–15 cm (5.7–5.9 in) in length with a broad flat bill. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Swallow Tanager?
- The Swallow Tanager is a small sized bird weighing about 29 g.
- Where can you see a Swallow Tanager?
- The Swallow Tanager occurs in 15 countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
- What birds look similar to a Swallow Tanager?
- The Swallow Tanager is most easily confused with the Bluish-grey Saltator, the Golden-billed Saltator and the Masked Flowerpiercer.
- Is the Swallow Tanager endangered?
- The Swallow Tanager is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Swallow Tanager for real
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