Metallic-green Tanager

About the Metallic-green Tanager

The metallic-green tanager (Tangara labradorides) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. The blue-and-black tanager was first described as Tanagra (Aglaia) labradorides by Auguste Boissonneau in 1840 on the basis of a specimen from Santa Fe, Colombia. The generic name Tangara comes from the Tupí word tangara, meaning dancer. The specific name labradorides is from the French pierre de Labrador (feldspar), and the Ancient Greek -ides, meaning resembling, referring to the species' metallic blue-green color, which resembles that of feldspar. Metallic-green tanager is the official common name designated by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC).

The metallic-green tanager is one of 27 species in the genus Tangara. It was previously thought to form a species group with the blue-browed and golden-naped tanagers. However, phylogenetic studies have shown that the golden-naped tanager is only distantly related to the other two species in the group. Its relation with the blue-browed tanager is also unclear, as some studies have shown the... Wikipedia →