The blue-and-gold tanager is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is native to the Talamancan montane forests and the Serranía del Darién. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Region
Southern Central America
Typical Environment
Found in humid montane forests of Costa Rica and western to eastern Panama, including the Talamancan range and the Serranía del Darién. It favors mature cloud forest with abundant epiphytes, mossy branches, and fruiting trees. Birds are most often encountered in the mid to upper canopy along ridges, ravines, and forest edges. They may use adjacent secondary growth if large forest blocks remain nearby.
Altitude Range
900–2400 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A cloud-forest specialist, the blue-and-gold tanager stays mostly in the mid to upper canopy and often joins mixed-species foraging flocks. Its striking contrast of deep blue and rich golden-yellow makes it one of the more distinctive highland tanagers. The species is sensitive to forest fragmentation and declines where mature montane forest is lost. Conservation of continuous cloud-forest tracts is key to its persistence.
Temperament
shy and canopy-dwelling
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief undulations between trees
Social Behavior
Usually found in pairs or small family groups and frequently joins mixed-species flocks led by tanagers and furnariids. Breeding is in the wet season; the nest is a cup hidden among epiphytes or dense foliage. Both parents likely contribute to provisioning, and territories are held in high-quality forest patches.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a soft, sweet series of thin whistles and trills delivered from mid-canopy perches. Calls include high, sharp seets used to keep contact within pairs and during mixed-flock foraging.
Plumage
Glossy to velvety blue upperparts with rich golden-yellow underparts, giving a sharp two-tone appearance. Wings and tail are darker bluish with blackish flight feathers; the underparts are clean, saturated yellow. Feathers often show a soft, slightly fluffy look in humid conditions.
Diet
Primarily consumes small fruits and berries from forest trees and shrubs, often selecting those of Melastomataceae and other canopy fruiters. Supplements diet with insects and other small arthropods gleaned from mossy branches, epiphytes, and leaf clusters. Foraging is deliberate, picking single items rather than sallying for prey. Joins mixed flocks to exploit ephemeral fruiting events and to increase foraging efficiency.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in mid to upper canopy of humid montane and cloud forests, especially along edges, gaps, and fruiting trees. Also uses moss-laden branches and bromeliads where arthropods are abundant.
