Tawny-crested Tanager

About the Tawny-crested Tanager

The tawny-crested tanager (Tachyphonus delatrii) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae, the tanagers and allies. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The tawny-crested tanager was formally described in 1847 with its current binomial Tachyphonus delatrii. The IOC, AviList, the Clements taxonomy, and the North and South American Classification Committees retain it in the genus Tachyphonus. BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) also initially did so, but in 2016 assigned the tawny-crested tanager to its own genus Chrysocorypha. It retains it there as of late 2025.

The tawny-crested tanager is monotypic. The tawny-crested tanager is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long and weighs 14 to 21 g (0.49 to 0.74 oz). The species has a short, somewhat thin, bill and is sexually dimorphic. Adult males are mostly glossy black. They have a rather short tawny to dark yellow crest that provides its English name, a small seldom-visible white patch on the bend of the wing, and white underwing coverts. Adult females have a grayish brown head and dark olive-brown upperparts. Their wing coverts... Wikipedia →