Tanagers (Thraupidae)
Flame-crested Tanager (Tachyphonus cristatus) - HBW 16, p. 177
French: Tangara à huppe ignée
German: Haubentangare
Spanish: Tangara Crestifuego
Other common names: Scarlet-crested Tanager; Natterer’s Tanager (nattereri)
Taxonomy: Tanagra cristata Linnaeus, 1766, Cayenne, French Guiana.
Genetic data indicate that this species is sister to T. rufiventer and that T. luctuosus is sister to both of these. Present species exhibits marked geographical variation in plumage, with racial limits poorly defined. Very poorly known taxon nattereri, with distinctive male plumage, may represent a separate species but usually considered a race of present species or aberrant example of madeirae; a female specimen once thought possibly to be of nattereri was subsequently reassigned to madeirae (recent “discovery” of an additional specimen, presumab.. View all taxonomy...
Genetic data indicate that this species is sister to T. rufiventer and that T. luctuosus is sister to both of these. Present species exhibits marked geographical variation in plumage, with racial limits poorly defined. Very poorly known taxon nattereri, with distinctive male plumage, may represent a separate species but usually considered a race of present species or aberrant example of madeirae; a female specimen once thought possibly to be of nattereri was subsequently reassigned to madeirae (recent “discovery” of an additional specimen, presumably of nattereri, may shed light on this question). Taxonomic status of isolated E coastal race brunneus also worthy of investigation. Given the amount and complexity of variation within this species, and the fact that, conversely, differences between some races seem trivial, a full taxonomic review seems warranted. Ten subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- orinocensis J. T. Zimmer & Phelps, Sr, 1945 - extreme E Colombia and S & SE Venezuela (N & E Amazonas and W Bolívar E to R Paragua and R Caroní).
- intercedens Berlepsch, 1880 - E Venezuela (E of R Caroní) E to Guyana and Suriname.
- cristatus (Linnaeus, 1766) - French Guiana and NE Brazil (N of R Amazon and E of R Nhamundá).
- orinocensis J. T. Zimmer & Phelps, Sr, 1945 - extreme E Colombia and S & SE Venezuela (N & E Amazonas and W Bolívar E to R Paragua and R Caroní).
- intercedens Berlepsch, 1880 - E Venezuela (E of R Caroní) E to Guyana and Suriname.
- cristatus (Linnaeus, 1766) - French Guiana and NE Brazil (N of R Amazon and E of R Nhamundá).
- cristatellus P. L. Sclater, 1862 - SE Colombia (from vicinity of Villavicencio, in Meta) and S Venezuela (SW Amazonas) S to extreme NW Peru and NW Brazil (S & E to Manaus).
- fallax J. T. Zimmer, 1945 - S Colombia (SE Nariño), E Ecuador and N Peru (S to lower R Ucayali).
- huarandosae Chapman, 1925 - Huarandosa (in Chinchipe Valley, near Marañón Valley) in N Peru.
- madeirae Hellmayr, 1910 - C Brazil S of Amazon (from Teffé E to R Xingu and S into Mato Grosso), also adjacent SE Peru (E Madre de Dios) and adjacent N Bolivia (Pando and N Beni).
- nattereri Pelzeln, 1870 - WC Mato Grosso (Villa Maria, near Cáceres), in SW Brazil.
- pallidigula J. T. Zimmer, 1945 - NE Brazil (Pará and lower R Tocantins).
- brunneus (Spix, 1825) - E Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte S, discontinuously, to NE Santa Catarina; possibly also Maranhão E to Paraíba.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A male in the canopy, looking around and then eating fruits in a melastome tree. Locality Jaqueira (Frei Caneca Reserve), Pernambuco State, Brazil (ssp brunneus)
Josep del Hoyo 11 October 2008 3 years ago 35 sec 3 -
A bird foraging in the canopy of the tree. Locality Murici Reserve, Alagoas State, Brazil (ssp brunneus)
Yoel Jimenez 7 December 2006 32 weeks ago 10 sec 2.3
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Adult Male Flame-crested Tanager Locality Bahia State, Brazil
Stephen John Jones 17 December 2011 7 weeks ago 3.3 -
2 individuals, in the observation tower of Napo wildlife Center, with a flock of 10 sp.
Locality Napo Wildlife Center, Orellana Province, Ecuador (ssp fallax )
Roberto Cedeño Ch. 21 June 2010 1 year ago 3.2 -
A male in a tree.
Locality Jaqueira (Frei Caneca Reserve), Pernambuco State, Brazil (ssp pallidigula)
Josep del Hoyo 11 October 2008 3 years ago 3 -
A perching bird Locality Folha Seca, Ubatuba, São Paulo State, Brazil
Tadeusz Stawarczyk 18 August 2010 11 weeks ago 2.9
- No sound recordings available yet
