Flame-crested Tanager
Loriotus cristatus
Overview
The flame-crested tanager (Loriotus cristatus) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae, found across mainland South America, excluding Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It is primarily a year-round resident in tropical forests.
Identification
- Adult males have a scarlet or orange crest with a thin buff band, and are mostly black with a fulvous rump.
- Adult females are rufescent brown on the upperparts with a grayish face and bright ochraceous buff underparts.
- The species is about 15 cm long and weighs between 16.5 and 23.0 g.
- Males have a black mandible with a silvery gray base and black legs, while females have an all-gray mandible and gray legs.
Habitat
It primarily inhabits tropical evergreen forest, favoring terra firme forest in the Amazon Basin and also found in várzea forest in Brazil. The eastern Brazilian population inhabits more open landscapes, including woodlands, clearing edges of extensive forest, forested savanna, and secondary forest. It ranges up to 1,400 m in elevation in Venezuela and up to 900 m in Peru.
Diet
The flame-crested tanager feeds on insects, with lesser amounts of fruits and seeds. It forages energetically from the forest's mid-level to its canopy, gleaning prey from foliage. It is usually found in pairs but sometimes in groups of up to 10 individuals and is almost always part of a mixed-species feeding flock.
Did you know?
The genus name Loriotus is derived from the French word loriot, which is used for Old World orioles, despite the bird not being an oriole.