Spotted Tanager
Ixothraupis punctata
Overview
The spotted tanager (Ixothraupis punctata) is a species of bird belonging to the family Thraupidae. It is found across South America in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Identification
- Green upperparts with white underparts and face washed in bluish-gray
- Black lores and greenish-yellow flanks
- Distinguished by dense, black, scale-like speckling covering the entire body
Habitat
The species inhabits subtropical and tropical moist lowland and montane forests across a disjunct range in the Andes and the Amazon. In the Amazon, it is most abundant in lowlands below 1,100 m but can be found up to 1,600 m, while in the Andes it typically occupies elevations between 700 and 1,700 m. It lives in primary and secondary forests, woodland edges, and plantations.
Did you know?
Its scientific name punctata is derived from Latin for 'spotted', reflecting the bird's distinctive appearance. The species was originally described in 1760 by Mathurin Jacques Brisson based on a specimen collected in the West Indies.