Return of Bird of the Week: Masked Crimson Tanager

This species is another of nine members of the genus Ramphocelus, a cousin of last week’s Crimson-backed Tanager. This species is endemic to upper Amazonia and is rarely found far from water, for example. in várzea forest or oxbow lakes. It is usually found in groups, which generally keep reasonably low in the vegetation, and the species as a whole ranges from southeast Colombia south to northernmost Bolivia, and east into central Amazonian Brazil. The dramatic black mask and wing against the bright red body makes this an easy species to identify in the field. It’s usually found alone, but sometimes forages in…