Opal-Rumped Tanager

ANIMAL:
Opal-Rumped Tanager Tangara velia

Type of Animal:
Songbird

Habitat:
Forests, forest edges, disturbed areas, second-growth woodland, clearings w/ scattered trees, plantations, can be found as high as 3,937 ft above sea level

Location(s):
Found in Guiana Shield, S Venezuela, E Colombia, E Ecuador, E Peru, N Bolivia, & much of Brazil

Appearance:
Colorful tanager species, blue head w/ black crown/mantle, blue to violet blue belly/breast, black neck band, opal rump, rufous lower belly/vent, E Brazil population paler

Food/Diet:
Fruit, berries, insects

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos & aviculture

Lifestyle:
Flocks of 2-15 birds

Additional Info:

Called:
Male: Cock
Female: Hen
Young: Chick
Group: Flock

Weight:
0.67-0.81 oz

Gestation:
2 weeks

Life Span:
5-7 years

Height:
4.5-6 in

Body Length:
4.5-6 in

Tail Length:
2 in 

These tanagers can often be seen w/ other tanager species.

These birds are very active.

These birds are rather shy.

Chicks fledge at 2 weeks but stay w/ parents for a little while longer.

Breeding pairs sometimes assisted w/ helpers from previous brood and/or unrelated birds.

Females lay 2-3 eggs.

Females build well-concealed cup nests.

They’ll emit high-pitched twitters or chips during flight.

These birds sedentary throughout range.

Fun Fact(s):
Population found in E Brazil’s Atlantic Forest may be separate species called Silvery-Breasted Tanager.

In 1743, English naturalist George Edwards included illustration/description of this species in A Natural History of Uncommon Birds using “Red-belly’d Blue-bird” to describe it. Hand-colored etching based on specimen owned by Duke of Richmond.

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