White-winged Shrike-Tanager

Overview

The white-winged shrike-tanager (Lanio versicolor) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae found in eastern Peru, northwestern Bolivia, and western Brazil. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, though its population is believed to be decreasing.

Identification

• Length of 13 to 15 cm with a body weight of approximately 17 g.
• Sexually dimorphic; males are mostly ochraceous yellow with a black head, while females are ochraceous brown with an ochraceous yellow belly.
• Black wings with significant white on the upperwing coverts and a black tail.
• Possesses a long, black, hooked bill and black legs with a brown iris.
• Song described as a pleasant musical series such as tur-ree-tur pe'chew, accompanied by a piercing call like t'SEER or TSEW!

Habitat

This species primarily inhabits intact terra firme forest, as well as evergreen and gallery forest. Its range extends across eastern Peru, northwestern Bolivia, and western Brazil, reaching elevations of 900 m in Brazil and 1,200 m in Peru.

Diet

The white-winged shrike-tanager feeds primarily on arthropods, occasionally supplementing its diet with fruit. It forages mostly in the forest canopy, often as part of mixed-species flocks where it acts as a sentinel and leader, capturing prey disturbed by the flock or via sallies from perches.

Did you know?

The bird has been observed giving false alarms to cause other flock members to flee, allowing it to capture the prey they have abandoned.