Meet The Evasive, Iridescent Turquoise, Purplish-Mantled Tanager

The evasive purplish-mantled tanager is equal parts mystery and beauty, hiding in the subtropical mountainous forests of Colombia.

Kylene

• Published in Animal Stories
• November 7, 2021

Bird watching has become a global phenomenon and hobbyists will travel around the world for a chance to spot certain rare bird species that only live in specific areas. If you have ever spent any amount of time traveling through South America it's possible that you have encountered the incredible purplish-mantled tanager!

This exquisite bird species is native to the jungles of Colombia and their populations span down to southeast Ecuador. Once you spot these flashy, round little birds they are hard to miss thanks to their brightly colored purple, blue, and bold yellow feathers.

The relatively chunky bird is covered in a coat of blue-ish and turquoise iridescent feathers that are contrasted with a shocking, distinctively placed lemon-yellow throat. Aside from their obvious beauty, they are inquisitive little creatures in their natural environment and extremely shy of people.

Their evasive habits around humans make it hard to study their populations in the wild. Still, some patient bird watchers and researchers have spent enough time around them to get a good understanding of their life cycle.

The scientific name for the purplish-mantled tanager is Iridosornis porphyrocephalus. The species belongs to the Thraupidae family of birds and they are as interesting as they are beautiful!

The bird's feather coat is made up of multiple vibrant colors

The purplish-blue bird can grow up to 15cm in length when mature. The majority of the bird's feather suit is a turquoise bluish color that reflects almost greenish hues in the sunlight.

A small black feather mask sits on the bird's head and it collides with a bright lemon-yellow throat before the blue feathers take over. The bird also boasts a white belly and a brownish-reddish patch where the body meets the tail.

The male and female birds look alike

Both the males and female birds have very similar appearances which make them hard to distinguish from a distance.

They live in the subtropical mountainous forests of Colombia through to Ecuador

The purplish-mantled tanager species is from Colombia and their populations span through to the southeast of Ecuador. They prefer to live in subtropical moist mountainous forests and they are also known to inhabit heavily damaged former forest areas full of downed or damaged growth.

They prefer to stay distant from other forest animals

This bird is known for its efficient foraging techniques. They jump and peck around through dense foliage in search of berries and insects but they do not congregate in fruit trees with other birds and animals.

Not much is known about this bird specie's mating habits

Because of their private nature, not much is known about the purplish-mantled tanager's breeding season. Fledglings and juvenile birds of the species have been recorded between May and June in the Central and Western mountain ranges.

The purplish-mantled tanager is a Near Threatened species

Deforestation and degradation as a result of climate change, farming, and mining activities, are the major threats that this magnificent bird species faces. The rapid decline in their population in recent years has caused the purplish-mantled tanager to be classified as a Near Threatened species on the IUCN list.

They have long toes that are helpful for gripping wet branches and loose forest substrate

The true color magic happens where the blueish purple feathers meet the lemon yellow ones

Watch this Youtube video to learn more about this unique, exquisite species

This shy bird is worth the wait

If you're ever traveling through South America keep your eyes peeled for the purplish-mantled tanager bouncing around low branches and berry bushes.

This unique species is one worth seeing in person if you get the opportunity, but it will take some patience and determination because they prefer to stay hidden from humans.

H/T: OneBirdCage

Kylene