The flame-faced tanager (Tangara parzudakii) is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is endemic to South America and is found in the eastern Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is a distinctive-looking species with black and opalescent green upperparts, opalescent green and buff underparts, and a deep red and yellow face. The subspecies lunigera lacks the deep red on the face, which is replaced with orangish-red.
It is omnivorous and feeds on fruit and arthropods. Foraging is conducted nearly exclusively on mossy branches. Breeding occurs in the rainy season. Eggs are laid in clutches of two, and are white with pale brown flecking concentrated on the larger end. Fledglings are fed by both parents. The flame-faced tanager is listed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the IUCN Red List. However, it is facing population declines due to habitat destruction.
Taxonomy and systematics
The flame-faced tanager was first described as Tanagra parzudakii by Frédéric Lafresnaye in 1843, on the basis of specimens collected around Santa Fe, in Bogota, Colombia. The generic name Tangara comes from the Tupí word tangara, which means dancer. The specific epithet parzudakii is in honor of the French collector and natural history dealer Charles Parzudaki. Flame-faced tanager is the official common name designated by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC). Other names for the species include flame faced tanager.
The flame-faced tanager is one of 27 species in the genus Tangara. Within the genus, it is put in a species group with the blue-whiskered tanager, green-and-gold tanager, emerald tanager, golden tanager, silver-throated tanager, saffron-crowned tanager, and golden-eared tanager. This placement has been supported by DNA evidence. However, it is not known which of the species in the group are sister to the flame-throated tanager.
Subspecies
There are three subspecies of the flame-faced tanager, all of which are recognized on the basis of slight differences in plumage.
T. p. parzudakii (Lafresnaye, 1843): The nominate subspecies, it is found in southwestern Venezuela, the eastern Colombian Andes, and the east slope of the Ecuadorian Andes. T. p. urubambae Zimmer, 1943: It is found on the eastern slope of the Peruvian Andes. It is similar to the nominate, but has a smaller and stubbier beak, a paler crown, and a duller forecrown and belly. T. p. lunigera (P.L. Sclater, 1851): Also known as the yellow-faced tanager, it is found on the Pacific slope of the Colombian Andes, along with northwestern Ecuador at elevations of . It has an orange-red face instead of a red one. It is recognized as a distinct species by some authorities.
Description
The flame-faced tanager is a distinctive-looking medium-sized species of tanager, being on average in length and 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. The iris is dark brown, the bill is black, and the feet are dark gray. Immatures have a dull yellow instead of red on the head. The throat is pale buffy gray, while parts that are black in adults are dull dusky. Overall, the plumage is duller than in the adult.
The nominate subspecies is unlikely to be mistaken for any other species due to the deep red facial plumage, but lunigera resembles the saffron-crowned tanager. However, it can be distinguished due to the latter's greenish breast, yellow crissum (area surrounding cloaca), and smaller size.
Distribution and habitat
Flame-faced tanagers are found in the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Peru, at elevations of . It inhabits montane and cloud forests, and is most frequent at elevations above . It is also found in forest edges and tall secondary growth.
Behavior and ecology
The flame-faced tanager is most often found either in pairs or groups of 3–7 birds. It is also often found in mixed-species flocks, which are composed mostly of other tanager species. On average, mixed-species flocks containing the flame-faced tanager have seven other species in them.