Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia Ubatuba November 2009

Bird name: Blue Dacnis
Latin: Dacnis cayana
Other: Turquoise Honeycreeper • Saí azul (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Blue Dacnis is a widespread tanager found in much of South and Central America, including nearly all of Brazil. It will visit fruit feeders and sometimes even tries nectar feeders.

The Blue Dacnis has pink legs, and a black wedge-shaped mask. Plumage is electric blue in the male (above) with black on back, wings and black bill. The female (below) and immature has a green body and blue head, with similar black markings to the male.

The lowest photo in “more photos” shows a bird which may be a very young Blue Dacnis, but shows little of the usual colouration.


More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Brazilian Tanager
Latin: Ramphocelus bresilius
Other: Tiê-sangue (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The male Brazilian Tanager is a very intense red. The above photo shows 100% magenta saturation in Photoshop. A real feast of colour.

The male also has bright white patches on its lower bill which is otherwise black, and dark wings and tail. The female (see below) is brown with a buff underside and red patch on rump and dark bill. The immature male (see further below) is like the female but with bright patches of red, especially on face, and white patch on black bill.

The female has no streaking on its chest, unlike the female Ruby-crowned Tanager. The former is also darker above than the latter. Both male and female Brazilian Tanagers have a slight overbite, where the upper bill is a bit longer than the lower.

The Brazilian Tanager is endemic to the southeast coast of Brazil, where it is fairly easy to find, and very easy to spot.


More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba & Mostardas November 2009

Bird name: Blue Black Grassquit
Latin: Volatinia jacarina
Other: Tiziu (Br) • mochuelo (Es), Negrillo, Comesebo
Family: Thraupidae • Grassquits

The Blue-black Grassquit adult male is entirely a dark blue-black colour. The eclipse or juvenile is more mottled (see photos). The female is brown with a streaked chest.

The Blue-black Grassquit is found throughout Brazil and much of South America, often in the same sort of habitat as the Double-collared Seedeater.


More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba & Itaiaia November 2009

Bird name: Double Collared Seedeater
Latin: Sporophila caerulescens
Other: Coleirinho (Br) • Corbatita común (Es), Corbatita doble collar
Family: Thraupidae • Seedeaters

The Double-collared Seedeater is found in many habitats. It has a wide range covering much of Brazil and neighbouring countries. It looks for grass seeds and can be seen near human habitation.

The Double-collared Seedeater male is quickly recognised by its black chin and black collar which form its “double collar”. The female is plain light brown and lacks chest stripes, which distinguishes it from the Blue-black Grassquit female. There are many similar looking females though, so the one below is only presumed to be a Double-collared Seedeater from its proximity with a male.


More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Ruby Crowned Tanager
Latin: Tachyphonus coronatus
Other: Tiê-preto (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The male Ruby-crowned Tanager is all black and thus not dissimilar in aspect to the Shiny Cowbird and others. It can show a little white on the shoulder (see below in more photos). Occasionally you can spot the small red crest, but usually this is not visible.

It’s more nervy in behaviour than the aforementioned cowbird and more likely to be seen taking turns at a fruit feeder with a female, and other tanagers, than walking around calmly on the ground or collecting in groups.

The female (below) is light brown with streaked chest and neck. The lower half of bills of both seem to show an indication of the white patch which is characteristic of many tanagers, such as the Brazilian Tanager.

Also in “more photos”, there’s a shot of a female inflating her abdominal air sac. Perhaps a courtship ritual? Also a photo of a possible juvenile, with mottled colours. And a male in flight showing that there is no white in the wings.


More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Black Goggled Tanager
Latin: Tricothraupis melanops
Other: Tiê-de-topete (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Black-goggled Tanager has yellowish buff underparts, dark brown-black upperside, especially black around the eyes, yellow crest sometimes visible. The female has less pronounced markings. Lives in southern half of Brazil and neighbouring countries.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Palm Tanager
Latin: Thraupis palmarum
Other: Sanhaçu-do-coqueiro (Br) • Tangara (Es), Azulejo de palmeras
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Palm Tanager is one of the dullest looking tanagers, mostly uniform olive-green, with lighter patches on wing and darker tips, head lighter and greener, with only a black iris and bill which stand out.

The Olive-green tanager is yellower below, with distinct upper and lower halves, and fluffier. The Sayaca Tanager is obviously blue, not green, but from below in some lights, when both are pale can look similar - the same goes for Golden-chevroned Tanager from below, which can also look similar.

Some field guides show the Palm Tanager male with purple tinges, but I didn’t see this.

The Palm Tanager is fairly common throughout most of the northern half of South America and extending into Central America and the Caribbean.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba November 2009

Bird name: Burnished Buff Tanager
Latin: Tangara cayana
Other: Saíra amarela (Br) • Rufous-crowned Tanager
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Burnished Buff Tanager male has a buff body, with black markings below, including face, and turquoise wings. The female (see below) has less black.

The Burnished Buff Tanager is found in Brazil, to some extent neighbouring countries, and there is a separate population in northern South America. The subspecies near Sao Paulo, where these photos were taken, is Tangara cayana flava.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba November 2009

Bird name: Flame Crested Tanager
Latin: Tachyphonus cristatus
Other: Tiê-galo (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

This brief glimpse of a Flame-crested Tanager shows its main markings: a red patch on cap, generally black body and buff patch on back and chin. Also white shoulder. Female is brownish.

The Flame-crested Tanager lives in two distinct populations, one on the southeast coast of Brazil, the other further northwest, including neighbouring South American countries.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Olive Green Tanager
Latin: Orthogonys chloricterus
Other: Catirumbava (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Olive Green Tanager is another tanager found only on the southeast coast of Brazil, generally above 600m. It is a frequent visitor to fruit feeders in Itatiaia.

The Olive-green Tanager is entirely yellowish-green underneath and olive-green above, with some dark marks, and a black bill and iris. It is a medium-sized bird, significantly larger than the Green-headed Tanager in the company of which it is often seen.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Sayaca Tanager
Latin: Thraupis sayaca
Other: Sanhaçu-cinzento (Br) • Celestino común (Es), Celestón
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Sayaca Tanager is one of the most common tanagers within its range, often visiting fruit feeders. It is found in most of Brazil south of the Amazon, where it is replaced by the Blue-gray Tanager, and in neighbouring countries.

The Sayaca Tanager is blue and grey in colour. From the underside it can look very plain - similar to the Palm Tanager. Unlike the Azure-shouldered Tanager it does not have dusky lores.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia, RJ • November 2009

Bird name: Magpie Tanager
Latin: Cissopis leverianus
Other: Tietinga (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

There’s no mistaking the Magpie Tanager, with its strong black and white markings, which are reminiscent of the European Magpie, its large size, long tail and bright yellow irises. Its distribution is split into two parts, one comprising southeastern Brazil.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia, Ubatuba • November 2009

Bird name: Golden Chevroned Tanager
Latin: Thraupis ornata
Other: Sanhaçu-de-encontro-amarelo (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Golden-chevroned Tanager can look a little grey and muddy, depending on the individual, the angle and the light. It may be that females are the duller ones. So I have included a few such photos below (see “more photos…”) for help in identification. Some individuals, like the one above, are good-looking, bright and colourful birds.

The Golden-chevroned Tanager is basically a blue bird with a little yellow patch, or golden chevron, on the wing. It’s the only bird in the region with such a mark, so easy to identify. Females are paler than males, especially underneath. Some individuals have dusky lores, but others not so much.

The Golden-chevroned Tanager is endemic to a fairly small strip of the southeast coast of Brazil but is the most common tanager around so not hard to find.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia, RJ • November 2009

Bird name: Swallow Tanager
Latin: Tersina viridis
Other: Saí-andorinha (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Swallow Tanager is a great-looking bird. Apparently! Unfortunately this was the closest I got to one, so I didn’t get a very good look. The Swallow Tanager is distinguishable by its barred flank, just visible in the photo. It is blue overall, with a dark hood.

The Swallow Tanager can be found throughout much of Brazil and neighbouring countries.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia, RJ • November 2009

Bird name: Gilt Edged Tanager
Latin: Tangara cyanoventris
Other: Saí-andorinha (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

Here’s another tanager barely glimpsed on the road to Hotel Simon, in Itatiaia. It flew into a distant palm tree.

Still, you can just make out its distinguishing features - golden hood with black eye and beak and surrounding area. Body blue-green-yellow with black showing through.

The Gilt-edged Tanager is endemic to this region, only found in the coastal area near Rio and Sao Paulo.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Image: Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Saffron Finch
Latin: Sicalis flaveola
Other: Canário-da-terra-verdadeiro (Br) • Canario de tejado (Es), Jilguero dorado
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Saffron Finch is now classed with the Tanagers (Thraupidae) rather than the Buntings (Emberizidae).

The male is distinguished by a bright yellow front and orange (saffron) glow above and sometimes below the face.

I think these ones are probably subspecies pelzelni, from location. The female and juveniles I find hard to distinguish, as they lack most of the yellow colouring and therefore look similar to quite a few other females. I’m going here on the striped chest as a distinguishing feature, but treat my IDs with caution.

As you can see below (continued here), the Saffron Finch takes advantage of the Rufous Hornero’s great nest-building abilities. Rufous Hornero’s typically build a new nest every year, so there are plenty of empty ones to be squatted.

The Saffron Finch is found throughout much of South America and the Caribbean.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Misto Yellow Finch
Latin: Sicalis luteiventris
Other: Grassland Yellow-Finch • Sicalis lutola luteiventris
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Misto Yellow-Finch is a little hard difficult to identify because of confusion with the Saffron Finch. Distinguishing features seem to be its lack of saffron colouring, and lack of stripes on breast in female and juvenile forms.

The Misto Yellow-finch is sometimes regarded as a subspecies of Grassland Yellow Finch (Sicalis luteola). Like the Saffron Finch it is now placed in the Tanager family rather than with the Buntings.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Red Crested Cardinal
Latin: Paroaria coronata
Other: Cardeal (Br) • Cardenal de cresta roja (Es), Cardenal copete rojo
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Red-crested Cardinal is found in the southern South American countries, including Rio Grande do Sul and the west of Brazil.

Unmistakable in its range by its red crest, white front and grey back.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Blue and Yellow Tanager
Latin: Thraupis bonariensis
Other: Sanhaçu-papa-laranja (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Blue-and-yellow Tanager is found in parts of most South American countries including the southern states of Brazil.

The Blue-and-yellow Tanager has yellow-orange underparts, blue hood with black around the eyes and beak, black back and blue upperside of wings.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Diademed Tanager
Latin: Stephanophorus diadematus
Other: Sanhaçu-frade (Br) • Cardenal azul (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Diademed Tanager in this photo was identified by the small red crest which is just visible. It should also have a white crown and bluish plumage. It is found in southern Brazil and neighbouring countries.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia, Ubatuba • November 2009

Bird name: Green Headed Tanager
Latin: Tangara seledon
Other: Saíra-sete-cores
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The colourful Green Headed Tanager is a frequent visitor to bird tables in the Atlantic Rainforest (Mata Atlantic) region.

Although the Green-headed Tanager is called Saíra-sete-cores in Portuguese, the English-named “Seven Colored Tanager” is a different bird (Tangara fastuosa - Pintor-verdadeiro).

The immature Green Headed Tanager, pictured above, is predominantly yellow and green.More photos...