Black-goggled Tanager

Overview

The black-goggled tanager (Trichothraupis melanops) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae found in South America. It is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN and is believed to be a year-round resident across its range.

Identification

• Measures 15.7 to 16.8 cm in length and weighs between 16.2 and 26.0 g, featuring a blue-gray bill and grayish horn legs.
• Sexually dimorphic with adult males displaying a large black mask and a usually hidden yellow crown on an olive-gray body, while females are duller with entirely brownish olive-gray heads.
• Males of the griseonota subspecies possess a larger black mask extending onto the ear coverts, a grayer back, and a more buff-yellow breast compared to the nominate.
• Songs vary by region, with the nominate subspecies in Brazil producing two distinct types: one described as "tseee wer-sit-je" and another as a long series with buzzes and whistles.

Habitat

The two subspecies occupy distinct ranges: the nominate is found in open terrain such as shrublands, forest edges, and regrowing clearings in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, while the griseonota subspecies inhabits the edges and gaps of humid montane forests with dense undergrowth in Peru, Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina.

Elevations vary by subspecies, with the nominate ranging from sea level to 1,200 m and griseonota found between 350 m and 1,800 m.

Diet

This species feeds on insects and fruits, usually foraging in pairs, small family groups, or occasionally in groups of up to 12 individuals.

In the Andes, it regularly joins mixed-species feeding flocks, while in Brazil it attends army ant swarms and follows monkey troops to capture disturbed prey.

Foraging behaviour involves hopping restlessly through vegetation, sometimes taking food in mid-air or with a short sally to foliage.

Did you know?

In Brazil, the black-goggled tanager has been observed following monkey troops specifically to capture prey disturbed by the monkeys' movements.