Olive-backed tanager facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Olive-backed tanager |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Mitrospingidae |
| Genus: | Mitrospingus |
| Species: |
M. oleagineus
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| Binomial name | |
| Mitrospingus oleagineus (Salvin, 1886)
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The olive-backed tanager (Mitrospingus oleagineus) is a small, colorful bird. It lives in the forests of Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela. This bird is part of the Mitrospingidae family.
Contents
About the Olive-backed Tanager
How Scientists Classify Birds
Scientists group living things into different families. This helps us understand how they are related. The olive-backed tanager and three other bird species were once thought to be part of the "true" tanager family, Thraupidae.
However, new studies in 2013 showed they were different. So, a new family was created just for them: Mitrospingidae. Important bird groups like the American Ornithological Society agreed with this change.
Different Types of Olive-backed Tanagers
Did you know there can be different types within one species? These are called subspecies. The olive-backed tanager has two main subspecies:
- Mitrospingus oleagineus oleagineus (the original type)
- M. o. obscuripectus
What Does the Olive-backed Tanager Look Like?
The olive-backed tanager is about 19 centimeters (7.5 inches) long. It usually weighs between 35.5 and 46 grams (about 1.2 to 1.6 ounces).
Adult Birds
The main type of this bird, M. o. oleagineus, has a dark gray face and forehead. Its throat is a lighter gray. The top of its head, back, and shoulders are a deep olive green. Its chest is olive-yellow, becoming brighter yellow on its belly.
The other subspecies, M. o. obscuripectus, looks very similar. But its upper parts are a darker olive color.
Young Birds
Young olive-backed tanagers look a bit different. They are duller in color than the adults. They also don't have the gray "mask" on their face that adult birds have.
Where Do Olive-backed Tanagers Live?
The olive-backed tanager lives in a small area. This area is where Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil meet.
Specific Locations
The M. o. oleagineus subspecies lives more to the east. You can find it in the very southeastern part of Venezuela. It also lives in nearby areas of west-central Guyana and northern Brazil.
The M. o. obscuripectus subspecies is found in the southeastern part of Venezuela's Bolívar state. It probably lives in neighboring parts of Brazil too.
Their Home Environment
These birds like to live on the slopes of tepuis. Tepuis are like flat-topped mountains or mesas that rise up from the forest. They prefer humid and wet forests.
They mostly live deep inside primary forests, which are old, untouched forests. But they can also be found in secondary forests, which are forests that have regrown after being disturbed. They live at elevations between 900 and 1800 meters (about 2,950 to 5,900 feet) high.
Olive-backed Tanager Behavior
What Do They Eat?
The olive-backed tanager mostly eats insects. But it also enjoys fruit! It finds food by hopping through the lower and middle parts of the forest trees and bushes. Sometimes, it will fly out to catch insects in short, quick movements.
These birds often forage in groups of their own kind. These groups can have up to 20 birds! They might also join other bird species while looking for food.
Reproduction and Breeding
Scientists don't have much information about how the olive-backed tanager breeds. We don't know much about their nests or how they raise their young yet.
What Do They Sound Like?
The olive-backed tanager has a special song. It sounds like "zweee-eet?" or "zwee-er-eet?". They sometimes repeat this song. When they are looking for food, they also make thin, high-pitched calls.
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) looks at how many of each animal species are left. They have said the olive-backed tanager is a species of "Least Concern." This means there are enough of them, and they are not in danger right now.
The bird seems to be quite common. A large part of where it lives is inside Venezuela's Canaima National Park. This park helps protect its home. Because of this, it's "unlikely to face near-term threats."
 | Ernest Everett Just |
 | Mary Jackson |
 | Emmett Chappelle |
 | Marie Maynard Daly |
