Gold-ringed Tanager
A species of Bangsia Tanagers Scientific name : Bangsia aureocincta Genus : Bangsia Tanagers
Gold-ringed Tanager, A species of Bangsia Tanagers
Botanical name: Bangsia aureocincta
Genus: Bangsia Tanagers
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Nigel Voaden
Description
Like the other Bangsia tanagers, the gold-ringed tanager is a plump bird with a relatively short tail. They are approximately 16cm in length and typically weigh between 35-45 grams. Adult birds are mostly dark green with a yellow breast. The prominent "gold ring" facial markings of adults, described below, make the bird easy to identify, with the only possible confusion species being Slaty-capped shrike-vireo. Detailed descriptions were provided by F. Gary Stiles, based on birds captured at Alto de Pisones in Risaralda Department:
Size
16 cm
Feeding Habits
Gold-ringed Tanager primarily forage in mossy tree branches from understory to mid-canopy. They consume fruits, sometimes using a unique method of bashing them against branches. Foraging behaviors include solitary and group searches, characterized by deliberate movements. Gold-ringed Tanager also peck at ground objects, echoing the foraging style of a Swainson’s thrush.
Habitat
The gold-ringed Tanager primarily resides in humid and mossy montane evergreen forests within the subtropical zone of the Andes. The species favors mature or secondary Andean Cloud forests with typical canopy heights spanning 9-12m. The environment is characterized by a continuous natural forest expanse, often enveloped in orographic clouds, which provides the high humidity levels preferred by the gold-ringed Tanager. These cloud forests are generally free from human development, as the bird avoids areas with fragmented forests, pastures, and proximity to human settlements.
Dite type
Frugivorous
General Info
Distribution Area
The gold-ringed tanager is found on the slopes of the western cordillera of the Andes. Its altitudinal range is from 1350-2195masl, though most birds are found at or above the 1700m level. The only site where the birds are seen at levels as low as 1350m is in the area of San José del Palmar in the Chocó Department. It is thought that this may be related to the absence of the black-and-gold tanager at this site. At any given site the birds occupy a narrow altitude range of 100-200m, corresponding to the principal cloud interception point of the Pacific slope.
Species Status
The gold-ringed tanager is listed Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and the Colombian Red Book (Libro Rojo). Any species with such a limited range and such specific habitat requirements merits close attention, but the tanager does not seem to experiencing a significant decline at the moment. The rate at which its habitat is being reduced is currently low, but likely to accelerate as the rate of economic development increases in an area that is no longer dominated by insurgent groups. A recent modeling exercise concluded that by the end of 21st century, 24% of the potential habitat for high-altitude forest birds in the Western Andes of Colombia and Ecuador could be lost.
Photo By Nigel Voaden
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Tanagers Genus
Bangsia Tanagers Species
Gold-ringed Tanager