Speckled tanager facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Speckled tanager |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Thraupidae |
| Genus: | Ixothraupis |
| Species: |
I. guttata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ixothraupis guttata (Cabanis, 1851)
|
|
 |
|
| Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist. | |
Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".
The speckled tanager (Ixothraupis guttata) is a cool, medium-sized bird that sings. It lives in places like Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad, Venezuela, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and the very north of Brazil. Sometimes, people have also seen it in French Guiana.
Contents
About the Speckled Tanager
This bird is likely a close relative of the spotted tanager (I. punctata), which lives further south. Usually, people thought these two types of tanagers lived in completely different areas. But in 1998, a speckled tanager was found in Serranía de los Churumbelos in Colombia. This was only about 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of where spotted tanagers are known to live. This means they might live closer to each other than once thought!
What Does It Look Like?
Adult speckled tanagers are about 13.2 centimeters (5.2 inches) long. That's about the length of a pen! They weigh around 18 grams (0.6 ounces), which is super light, like a few coins.
Their top parts are green with black spots, making them look "speckled." Their face is bright yellow, and they have a black line that goes from their eye to the corner of their mouth. Their wings and tail are black, but they have green edges. The underside of their body is white with black spots. Both male and female speckled tanagers look very similar. When they fly, you might hear their call, which sounds like a weak, metallic tsip.
Different Types of Speckled Tanagers
There's a special type of speckled tanager that lives in Trinidad. It's called I. g. trinitatis. This one has even brighter and more yellow on its head. Plus, its black spots are much easier to see.
Where Does It Live?
The speckled tanager prefers warmer, wet places. It lives in mountain forests and forests that are growing back after being cut down. These forests usually have trees that aren't super tall, but they have lots of bushes and plants on the ground.
What Does It Eat?
Speckled tanagers are social birds, meaning they like to hang out together. Their main food is fruit, but they also enjoy eating some insects. You might often see them with other birds like bay-headed tanagers and honeycreepers, as they often feed in the same areas.
Life Cycle and Family
When it's time to build a home, the speckled tanager makes a small, cup-shaped nest in a tree. The female usually lays two white eggs that have brown spots on them. She sits on the eggs to keep them warm for about 13 days until they hatch. After the chicks hatch, they stay in the nest for another 15 days before they are ready to fly out on their own.
 | Leon Lynch |
 | Milton P. Webster |
 | Ferdinand Smith |
