Black-and-white Tanager
Encyclopedia
The Black-and-white Tanager (Conothraupis speculigera) is a tanager
found in Bolivia
, Ecuador
, Peru
and the Brazil
ian state of Acre
. The only other member of its genus
is the recently rediscovered Cone-billed Tanager
.
It has a total length of 16 cm. (6½ in) and weighs 23–28 g. (0,8-1 oz). The male is black with a grey rump, white underparts and a white wing-speculum
. It is longer-billed than the superficially similar Black-and-white Seedeater
and lacks the black flanks and chalk-white bill of the related Cone-billed Tanager
. The female is olive with faintly mottled, yellow-tinged underparts. Both sexes have a reddish iris
and a greyish bill.
The males' song is distinctive, blackbird
-like, loud and ringing.
This bird is found in scrub, woodland and forest borders at elevation of 100–1800 m. (330–5900 ft). It is generally uncommon to rare and usually seen singly or in pairs, but may be found in flocks of up to 50 individuals. It eats insects and seeds. In the northern part of its range it breeds during the rainy season (around March), after which it disperses.
The nest was only described in 2006. It is open and rather untidy and loosely-woven, some 6–7 cm high and 10–11 cm wide outside, with a nest cup some 6 cm wide and 4 cm deep. It is placed at medium height (about 50–150 cm above ground) in small shrubs. It is built from sticks and leaf petiole
s, and lined with black rhizomorph
s of fungi.
The clutch
presumably consists of 2-3 eggs. These are pale blue with heavy, quite evenly-distributed brown blotching and measure c.21 by 15.6 mm.
Tanager
The tanagers comprise the bird family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has an American distribution.There were traditionally about 240 species of tanagers, but the taxonomic treatment of this family's members is currently in a state of flux...
found in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian state of Acre
Acre (state)
Acre is one of the 27 states of Brazil. It is situated in the southwest of the Northern Region, bordering Amazonas to the north, Rondônia to the east, Bolivia to the southeast and the Ucayali Region of Peru to the south and west. It occupies an area of 152,581.4 km2, being slightly smaller...
. The only other member of its genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
is the recently rediscovered Cone-billed Tanager
Cone-billed Tanager
The Cone-billed Tanager is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.It is endemic to Brazil.It was described on the basis of a single male specimen collected in Mato Grosso, Brazil, in 1938...
.
It has a total length of 16 cm. (6½ in) and weighs 23–28 g. (0,8-1 oz). The male is black with a grey rump, white underparts and a white wing-speculum
Speculum feathers
The speculum is a patch, often distinctly coloured, on the inner remiges of some birds.Examples of the colour of the speculum in a number of ducks are:* Common Teal and Green-winged Teal: Iridescent green edged with buff....
. It is longer-billed than the superficially similar Black-and-white Seedeater
Black-and-white Seedeater
The Black-and-white Seedeater is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela....
and lacks the black flanks and chalk-white bill of the related Cone-billed Tanager
Cone-billed Tanager
The Cone-billed Tanager is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.It is endemic to Brazil.It was described on the basis of a single male specimen collected in Mato Grosso, Brazil, in 1938...
. The female is olive with faintly mottled, yellow-tinged underparts. Both sexes have a reddish iris
Iris (anatomy)
The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel , grey, violet, or even pink...
and a greyish bill.
The males' song is distinctive, blackbird
Icterid
The Icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colorful passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most species have black as a predominant plumage color, often enlivened by yellow, orange or red. The family is extremely varied in size, shape, behavior and coloration...
-like, loud and ringing.
This bird is found in scrub, woodland and forest borders at elevation of 100–1800 m. (330–5900 ft). It is generally uncommon to rare and usually seen singly or in pairs, but may be found in flocks of up to 50 individuals. It eats insects and seeds. In the northern part of its range it breeds during the rainy season (around March), after which it disperses.
The nest was only described in 2006. It is open and rather untidy and loosely-woven, some 6–7 cm high and 10–11 cm wide outside, with a nest cup some 6 cm wide and 4 cm deep. It is placed at medium height (about 50–150 cm above ground) in small shrubs. It is built from sticks and leaf petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
s, and lined with black rhizomorph
Mycelial cord
Mycelial cords are linear aggregations of parallel-oriented hyphae. The mature cords are composed of wide, empty vessel hyphae surrounded by narrower sheathing hyphae...
s of fungi.
The clutch
Clutch (eggs)
A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
presumably consists of 2-3 eggs. These are pale blue with heavy, quite evenly-distributed brown blotching and measure c.21 by 15.6 mm.