Scarlet-and-white Tanager

About the Scarlet-and-white Tanager

The scarlet-and-white tanager (Chrysothlypis salmoni) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia and northern Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest. The male is highly distinctive and has bright scarlet upperparts, darker red wings and undertail coverts, and white underparts with a scarlet median stripe running down the throat and belly. Females are patterned like the males, but are olive-brown instead of scarlet.

The scarlet-and-white tanager is found in secondary growth and disturbed vegetation, mostly between elevations of 25–1,200 m (100–3,900 ft), but sometimes up to elevations of 1,700 m (5,600 ft). It feeds mainly on fruit and arthropods. Foraging occurs singly, in pairs, or in groups of up to six, and it can be found in mixed-species flocks with other tanagers, especially those in the genus Tangara.

The scarlet-and-white tanager is listed as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the IUCN Red List, due to its large range and relative commonness. It is threatened by increasing deforestation throughout its range, especially in foothills, but is unlikely to be in immediate danger due to its affinity for disturbed habitats. Wikipedia →