Brown tanager facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brown tanager |
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| at Itatiaia National Park, Brazil. | |
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Pyrrhula abeillei (protonym) |
The brown tanager (Orchesticus abeillei) is a small bird from South America. It belongs to the tanager family, called Thraupidae. This bird is the only one in its special group, known as the genus Orchesticus.
The brown tanager is about 17 cm (6.7 in) long. It weighs around 31.5 grams (1.1 oz). As its name suggests, its feathers are mostly brown. It has a strong, thick beak.
This bird only lives in the wet Atlantic forest in southeastern Brazil. It can be found high up in the mountains, between 900 and 1500 meters (about 3,000 to 5,000 feet). It looks for food high up in the treetops. You will usually see it with a partner. It's not a very common bird, but you can find it in special protected places like Itatiaia National Park.
Brown tanagers are good at catching insects right out of the air. They do this by quickly darting out from a branch. They also pick insects directly off plants.
This bird lays two eggs that are a bit pink. The wider end of the egg has small brown and lavender spots.
About the Brown Tanager's Name
The brown tanager was first officially described in 1839. A French scientist named René Lesson gave it the name Pyrrhula abeillei. Later, in 1851, a German bird expert named Jean Cabanis decided it needed its own special group. He named this group Orchesticus.
The name Orchesticus comes from an old Greek word. It means "good at dancing." The second part of its name, abeillei, honors a French collector named M. Abeillé.
The brown tanager is part of the larger tanager family. It is also grouped with the yellow-shouldered grosbeak in a smaller group called Orchesticinae. There are no different types or subspecies of the brown tanager.
