Return of Bird of the Week: Crimson-backed Tanager
Female Crimson-backed Tanager, Darien Province, Panama
Not all of the tanagers are yellow and blue. This is the Crimson-backed Tanager, a species native to northwestern South America and Panama. It’s sexually dichromatic; the males have a slightly swollen, white lower mandible, shown here.
Male Crimson-backed Tanager, Metropolitan Park, Panama City, Panama
While the species is not well studied, it appears to adapt reasonably well to human alteration of the tropical landscape. It’s common in cities and disturbed areas. It was the first bird WC and Mrs. WC saw from their hotel window a quarter mile from the Panama City airport. Based on Breeding Bird Survey, the population is stable, even if the population size is unknown. Given those facts and the species’ comparatively wide distribution, they are not believed to be threatened.
This species is one of nine members of the genus Ramphocelus which has been studied for the evolutionary history of its members. Based upon mitochondrial DNA studies, the Crimson-backed split from its closest cousin, the Masked Crimson Tanager, about 800,000 years ago. We’ll look at that cousin next week.
For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.