Olive-backed Tanager

About the Olive-backed Tanager

The olive-backed tanager (Mitrospingus oleagineus) is a species of bird in the family Mitrospingidae. It is found in Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela. The olive-backed tanager and the three other species in family Mitrospingidae were previously placed in family Thraupidae, the "true" tanagers. A 2013 publication detailed how they did not belong there and proposed the new family for them. The North and South American Classification Committees of the American Ornithological Society accepted the new placement in July 2017 and March 2019, respectively. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) followed suit in January 2018.

The olive-backed tanager has two subspecies, the nominate Mitrospingus oleagineus oleagineus and M. o. obscuripectus. The olive-backed tanager is 19 cm (7.5 in) long and weighs 35.5 to 46 g (1.25 to 1.62 oz). The nominate subspecies' forehead and face are dark gray and the throat paler gray. The head, mantle, and back are deep olive green; the breast is olive-yellow becoming brighter and more yellow on the belly. M. o. obscuripectus is very similar but the upper parts are a darker olive. The juvenile is duller and... Wikipedia →