Tangara à dos rayé

En bref

  • Scientific Name: Piranga bidentata
  • Spanish Name: Tangara multicolor
  • Family: Cardinalidae
  • Known Nicknames: Flame-colored Tanager, Swainson's Tanager
  • Average Length: 18–20 cm / 7–8 in
  • Average Weight: 35–45 g / 1.2–1.6 oz
  • Wingspan: 27–30 cm / 10.5–12 in
  • Key Feature: Vivid orange-red plumage with black-streaked back and white wing bars
  • Primary Diet: Primarily Frugivore and Insectivore
  • Range: Central America from Mexico to Panama
  • Habitat: Montane forests and cloud forests, often at elevations of 1,000–2,500 m
  • Social Structure: Solitary or in pairs; sometimes joins mixed-species flocks
  • Nesting/Breeding: Open cup nest built in a tree fork
  • Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
  • Évolution démographique : Stable

The Flame-colored Tanager (*Piranga bidentata*) is a striking songbird of the highland forests from Mexico to Panama, instantly recognizable by its blazing, fiery plumage. Males are a vivid burnt-orange to deep crimson, with bold black streaks on their back and flanks, while females are a subtler, warm yellow-olive with darker wing patches. A unique feature is its stout, two-toned bill with a slight notch at the tip, perfectly adapted for plucking fruits and insects. Its loud, robin-like song and preference for the forest canopy make it a vibrant, vocal presence, often seen in small, noisy flocks that add a flash of living ember to the misty treetops.

Faits amusants

The Flame-colored Tanager has a quirky habit of gleaning insects by hanging upside-down like a chickadee, a behavior more common in smaller birds. Its thick, slightly hooked bill is a unique adaptation for crushing hard seeds and large beetles, setting it apart from other tanagers that prefer softer fruit. During courtship, males perform a slow, deliberate butterfly-like flight to display their fiery orange and red plumage, and they are known to aggressively chase away much larger birds like jays from their territory.

Habitats et répartition

The Flame-colored Tanager occupies mid-elevation to highland forests, primarily inhabiting humid montane evergreen and pine-oak woodlands, as well as cloud forests and forest edges. It favors dense canopy and subcanopy layers, often near streams or clearings, and can also be found in adjacent shade coffee plantations and secondary growth. Its geographical range extends from central and southern Mexico through Central America, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, with isolated populations reaching western Panama. The species is generally resident within this range, though some local altitudinal movements may occur in response to seasonal food availability.

Comportements & Reproduction

The flame-colored tanager is typically monogamous during the breeding season, with pairs forming through mutual displays and chasing flights in the canopy. Nests are built by the female, often a shallow cup of twigs and grasses placed in a tree fork, while the male guards the territory and brings food. Clutch size is usually 2-3 pale blue eggs with brown speckles, incubated solely by the female for about 12-14 days. Both parents feed the altricial young, which fledge after roughly two weeks. A unique aspect is their occasional brood parasitism by the bronzed cowbird, though the tanager may aggressively defend the nest. Outside breeding, they are somewhat solitary or found in loose foraging flocks, but pairs maintain strong bonds year-round in resident populations.

Alimentation

The Flame-colored Tanager is primarily a frugivore, with its diet heavily centered on a wide variety of fruits and berries, particularly favoring mistletoe berries, figs, and the fruits of tropical trees like *Cecropia*. It is also an opportunistic insectivore, actively gleaning insects, spiders, and caterpillars from foliage and branches, especially during the breeding season when protein is crucial for chick development. An interesting dietary fact is that it will occasionally visit nectar feeders in human settlements, supplementing its natural intake with sugar water. Additionally, like many tanagers, it often forages in mixed-species flocks, where it may benefit from the disturbance of insects caused by other birds, showcasing a flexible feeding strategy that adapts to seasonal fruit availability.

Couleurs

The male Flame-colored Tanager has a striking orange-red body with a darker, reddish-brown mask around the bill and eyes, and its wings and tail are blackish with bold white wing bars. The female is duller, with yellowish-orange underparts and olive-yellow upperparts, retaining the same wing pattern. Its coloration provides camouflage among brightly lit foliage and fruits, while the contrasting wing bars break up its silhouette.