Paradise Tanager

Adults have a striking and unmistakable plumage featuring a bright red head, a black nape and upper back, a yellow lower back and rump, and a vivid turquoise-blue throat, breast, and underparts. Sexes are generally similar, though females may be slightly duller.

Bright red head, black mantle, yellow rump, and brilliant turquoise-blue underparts.

Length: 13-14 cm (5.1-5.5 inches); Weight: 18-22 grams.

High-pitched, thin, metallic chipping notes and a short, twittering song.

Primarily frugivorous, feeding heavily on small berries and fruits, but also insectivorous, gleaning insects and larvae from foliage.

Humid lowland tropical rainforests, forest edges, and second growth, primarily in the canopy and subcanopy.

Non-migratory resident across its South American range.

Constructs a cup-shaped nest out of moss, rootlets, and plant fibers placed high in a tree fork. Clutch size is typically 2 eggs, incubated primarily by the female.

Other brightly colored tanagers in the genus Tangara, but the combination of the red head, black upper parts, yellow rump, and blue underparts is unique to the Paradise Tanager.

Acts as an important seed disperser for various tropical fruiting trees and helps regulate insect populations.

Least Concern, with a stable population trend.

Look for them in the upper canopy of lowland rainforests, often identified by their high-pitched calls and by joining large mixed-species feeding flocks.

Despite its specific scientific name 'chilensis', the Paradise Tanager is not found in Chile; the name was based on an erroneous locality given by early naturalists.