Bird Week: Tanager: Blue Gray Tanager

Blue gray tanager / tangara azuleja
(Thraupis episcopus)


Photo by Ramon Fernandez Frances

This bird is one of the most common birds in Panama, found in clear areas with bushes, gardens and secondary forest. This is not a reason to lose interest in observation of this bird, as they are very active and noisy birds. Blue gray tanagers are often found in groups of either the same specie or other species. Both sexes have the same color, light bluish head and under parts, with darker blue upper parts.

Es una de las aves más comunes de Panamá, que se puede encontrar en claros arbustivos, jardines y bosques secundarios. No por eso deja de ser un ave que da gusto observar, son muy activas y bulliciosas y con frecuencia se mueven en grupos, de su misma especie o de otras especies de este grupo. Ambos sexos tienen la misma coloración, sus partes dorsales son azules oscuras y la zona ventral y la cabeza de un azul más pálido.

Bird Week: Tanager: Blue Dacnis

Blue Dacnis / Dacnis azul
Dacnis cayana

Photo by Ramon Fernandez Frances.

Blue Dacnis frequent the sunny canopy areas of the forest, from where they descend to the open areas with a few bushes and trees, near to the forest. Some authors report altitudinal migrations, while other authors report the species as an uncommon specie. We do not know yet if it is resident or migratory at Tranquilo Bay, because it is an elusive and scarce bird.

It feeds on fruits, seeds and insects. You should look in the foliage, like the bananquits to find them. This specie make couples or small family size groups. Some times are observed with other tanager flocks, banaquits and honeycreepers.

Frecuenta los niveles superiores soleados del bosque, de donde desciende a los claros adyacentes con árboles y arbustos dispersos. Algunos autores reportan migraciones altitudinales, mientras que otros autores la reportan como residente poco común, aun no sabemos si esta reside o migra en Tranquilo, pues es un ave esquiva y poco abundante.

Se alimenta de frutos, semillas e insectos, que buscan entre el follaje, como las reinitas. Forman parejas o grupos pequeños de tamaño familiar. En ocasiones acompañan a las bandadas de tangaras, reinitas y otros mieleros.

Photos by Ramon Fernandez Frances.

This post is in our Bird Week series focusing on the Tanagers.

Bird Week: Tanager: Green Honeycreeper

Green honeycreeper / mielero verde
Chlorophanes spiza

Photo by Ramon Fernandez Frances.

Green honeycreepers live in the canopy of dense forest, although they often descend to along the borders, clearings with a few trees and/or bushes and gardens.

They feed on nectar, fruts, seeds and little insects. The make couples and generaly stay close to other species in trees with fruit. Often they travel through the canopy with other tanagers, banaquits and other small birds. Green honeycreepers are residents of the Caribbean slope, from the sea leavel up to 1000m.

Habita en el dosel de los bosques densos, aunque con frecuencia desciende a lo largo de los márgenes, claros con árboles, arbustos esparcidos y jardines.
Se alimentan de néctar, frutos, semillas y pequeños insectos. Forman parejas y por lo general se juntan con aves de otras especies en árboles con frutos. Es frecuente que viajen por el dosel con tangaras, reinitas y otras aves pequeñas. Es una especie residente en la vertiente del Caribe, desde el nivel del mar hasta los 1000 m.

Photo by Ramon Fernandez Frances.

This post is in our Bird Week series focusing on the Tanagers.

Bird Week: Tanager: Red-legged Honeycreeper

Red-legged Honeycreeper / Mielero patirojo
Cyanerpes cyaneus

Male and Female - Photo by Ramon Fernandez Francis

During the mating season the male has a bright turquoise crown, that he loses after the reproductive season. After the mating season, he head has the same blue color as the rest of his body. The internal part of the male's wings are bright yellow.

This species travel through the top of the trees and semi-open areas, at the forest edges, gardens and platations.

Durante la época de reproducción el macho adulto tiene una corona brillante de color turquesa pálido, que al terminar la temporada reproductiva pierde, y tiene un color azul similar al del resto del cuerpo. La parte interna de las alas del macho es de color amarillo brillante.

Viajan a través de las copas de los árboles del bosque y de áreas semiabiertas, en bordes de bosques, jardines y plantaciones.

Male - Photos by Ramon Fernandez Frances


Female - Photo by Ramon Fernandez Frances

This post is in our Bird Week series focusing on the Tanagers.

Bird Week: Tanager: Shining Honeycreeper

Shining Honeycreeper / Mielero luciente /
Cyanerpes lucidus

Male - Photo by Ramon Fernandez Frances

Shining Honeycreeper are solitary birds that are sometimes found in couples or family groups, but never in flocks of their own species. They are often observed in the company of mixed flocks of bananaquits or other tanagers. In some locations they hang from skinny branches to reach their food, which allows one to watch their bright yellow legs.

Son solitarios o forman parejas, o grupos familiares, no forman bandadas de su misma especie, pero se le observa con frecuencia en compañía de bandadas mixtas de reinitas u otras tangaras. En ocasiones se cuelgan de ramas finas, para alcanzar su alimento, permitiendo al observador ver sus brillantes patas amarillas.

Male - Photo by Ramon Fernandez Frances


Female - Photo by Ramon Fernandez Frances

This post is in our Bird Week series focusing on the Tanagers.

Bird Week: Tanager / Tangaras Introduction

We have been working hard to develop an inventory of the birds that we can see here in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Ramon, Natalia and Jim have been compiling this information for some time now. As a result, we are going to have individual weeks that focus on different aspects important to birding. This week we are focusing on the Tanagers.

Not to long ago we observed for the first time at Tranquilo Bay several species, that are a part of the Tanager family (Thraupinae). These birds are really nice to watch, because they have amazing and vibrant colors, especially if they are observed with the right light. Ramon has taken some really beautiful shots, that we want to share with all of you. Watch for the information on the individual species this week.


Hace relativamente poco tiempo hemos observado por primera vez en Tranquilo, varios individuos de la familia de las tangaras (Thraupinae), estas son aves con las que se puede disfrutar mucho, pues tienen unos colores increíbles, especialmente si se observan con la luz correcta. Ramón ha logrado unas fotos preciosas en las últimas semanas, que queremos compartir con ustedes.