The Spotted Tanagers (Tangara punctata) – also known as the Emerald Spotted Tanagers – occur naturally in South-America, where they are specifically found in the following countries:
Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. It inhabits subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and montanes.
Description
Spotted Tanagers average 13 – 14 cm in length.
The upperparts are generally bright green with a creamy white belly. The plumage is fleckled with black.
The face and throat have a blue-grey tinge.
The plumage below is white with large black spots.
Males and females look alike, except the plumage of the female is a liittle duller compared to that of the male; and the black flecking is less prominent. The male has a more flat head, while the hen’s is more rounded.
Immature birds look like adults, but their plumage is a dirty washed out version of the adults with a browny wash.
Breeding / Nesting
They built small cup nests in trees. The average clutch consists of 2 – 4 brown-blotched white eggs. The eggs are incubated by the female for about 13 – 15 days.
The young remain in the nest until they are about13 – 15 days old.
Diet:
Their primary diet consists of fruits and insects, which they hunt for on the outer leaves of the canopy. But they can also be seen lower down when attracted by a fruiting tree. They also eat nectar and seeds.
Calls / Vocalizations:
Its flight call is a weak metallic chirping tsip.
Subspecies
Tangara punctata (Linnaeus, 1766) — Spotted Tanager(nominate species)
- Tangara punctata annectens (Zimmer, 1943)
- Tangara punctata perenensis (Chapman, 1925)
- Tangara punctata punctata (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Tangara punctata punctulata (P. L. Sclater and Salvin, 1876)
- Tangara punctata zamorae (Chapman, 1925 )
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