Rufous-crested tanager
| Rufous-crested tanager | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Thraupidae |
| Genus: | Creurgops |
| Species: | C. verticalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Creurgops verticalis Sclater, PL, 1858 | |
 | |
The rufous-crested tanager (Creurgops verticalis) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Taxonomy
The rufous-crested tanager was formally described as Creurgops verticalis by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1858 based on a specimen collected from the Napo River in eastern Ecuador. There are no recognized subspecies besides the nominate.[2]
Description
The rufous-crested tanager measures around 15 cm (5.9 in) in length and weighs around 21–27 g (0.74–0.95 oz) on average. It has a thick-set beak with a "tooth" at its tip, although this feature is only visible when examined from a close distance. This tanager is sexually dimorphic. Males have broadly lead-gray upperparts and cinnamon-rufous undersides. The top of the head has black-margined cinnamon-rufous feathers that form a crest. These feathers can be raised to display the crest, but are usually relaxed. Females lack these crests, but are otherwise similar to males in their appearance.[2]
Distribution and habitat
The rufous-crested tanager is an Andean endemic, being found from Venezuela south through Colombia and Ecuador into central Peru. It is a denizen of moist, mossy cloud forests and forest edges at elevations of 1100–2800 meters.[2]
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2018). "Creurgops verticalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018 e.T22722363A132015190. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22722363A132015190.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- 1 2 3 Hilty, Steven (2020-03-04), Billerman, Shawn M.; Keeney, Brooke K.; Rodewald, Paul G.; Schulenberg, Thomas S. (eds.), "Rufous-crested Tanager (Creurgops verticalis)", Birds of the World, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, doi:10.2173/bow.ructan4.01, retrieved 2026-05-31