Buff-breasted Mountain Tanager

Silver Brow Bergtangare

The Silver Brow Bergtangare ( Dubusia taeniata ) is a species of bird in the family of tanagers ( Thraupidae ). The species has a large distribution area, which includes the South American countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. The stock is assessed by the IUCN as endangered not (Least Concern ).

Features

The Silver Brow Bergtangare reaches a body length of about 19 centimeters and a weight of about 37 grams. The head, the neck and the throat are black. The largest part of the upper side is dark blue. A plaited metallischblauer pale eyebrow arch stretches long over the eyes. The yellow-brown breast band is not always on. The rest of the underside is yellow. The rump is also yellow-brown.

Distribution and habitat

The species is rare in moss overgrown and humid mountain forests. They are found at altitudes 1900-3500 meters. So it is mainly observed in the dense bamboo Chusquea, which occurs in the Andes.

Behavior

You can see the bird alone, in pairs and in mixed flocks. This is the territory in which he moves, very far-reaching. When foraging it jumps from branch to branch. He finds his food from Stratifikationsschichten at eye level to the high treetops. He usually remains hidden in the thicket, even if he just snaps every now and then in more open vegetation. The main food consists of small fruits and berries. Furthermore, it feeds on mistletoe and insects that it finds in the moss.

Subspecies

There are three described subspecies, which differ mainly in their coloring and their area of ​​distribution:

• Dubusia taeniata taeniata ( Boissonneau, 1840) - nominate, occurrence extends from the Sierra de Perijá in Venezuela, all the Andean slopes of the Departamento de Narino in Colombia in the central Andes of Ecuador to the northwest part of the Marañón Valley in Peru.
• Dubusia taeniata stictocephala Berlepsch & proud man, 1894 - The crown distinctly blue in contrast to the nominate form. In the region of Junín ago in central Peru.
• Dubusia taeniata carrikeri Wetmore, 1946 - Similar to nominate very. The light brown chest expands up to the cheeks. The blue of the brewing strip near the crown is much more intense. The middle and lower coverts are darker. Form somewhat smaller. Present in the valley of the Río Guatapurí and in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

In D. t. stictocephala there are South American Classification Committee, however, controversial opinions, whether it is not actually of a separate species.

Etymology and History of Research

Auguste Boissonneau described this Bergtangare first under " Tanagra ( Tachyphonus ) taeniata ". Only later was slammed by Charles Lucien Jules Laurent Bonaparte in his book Conspectus of the genus generum avium » Dubusia ".

The genus was named by Bonaparte in honor of Baron Bernard Amé You Léonard de bus Gisignies ( 1808-1874 ). The Silver Brow Bergtangare is the only species of this genus.

The epithet " taeniata " derives from the Latin words " taenia " for " headband, belt ." The " carrikeri " in the subspecies Melbourne Armstrong Carriker honors, Jr. ( 1879-1965 ). The word " stictocephala " derives from the Greek words " stictos " for " spotted, speckled " and " phalaris " for " blaze " from.