The blue-winged mountain tanager is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae, the tanagers. It is found in highland forest and woodland in the Andes of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, as well as a disjunct population in the Venezuelan Coastal Range. It is a common species and its populations appear to be stable. It is generally bright yellow and black with blue to the wings and tail; some populations have a moss-green back. In Bolivia and southernmost Peru, the rump is blue and the voice is very different; this population is sometimes recognized as a separate species, the Bolivian mountain tanager.
Region
Andes Mountains
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane and cloud forests, forest edges, and adjacent second growth from Venezuela through Colombia and Ecuador to Peru and northern Bolivia, with a disjunct population in the Venezuelan Coastal Range. It favors the mid- to upper-canopy and frequents fruiting shrubs and trees along forest borders and clearings. It adapts well to semi-open woodland and the borders of elfin forest. The species is generally common where suitable habitat remains.
Altitude Range
1500–3500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Often travels in mixed-species flocks in montane forests, where it is an energetic, conspicuous presence around fruiting trees. Most populations show a yellow rump, but birds in Bolivia and southernmost Peru have a blue rump and markedly different vocalizations, sometimes treated as the Bolivian mountain tanager. A small, disjunct population also occurs in Venezuela’s Coastal Range.
Blue-winged mountain tanager in northwest Ecuador
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Commonly joins mixed-species flocks, moving restlessly through the canopy in small groups or pairs. Pairs maintain contact calls while foraging and may defend small nesting areas during the breeding season. The nest is typically a cup placed in dense vegetation, and both parents attend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include clear, ringing whistles and sharp, chattering notes, with frequent scolding calls around fruiting trees. The Bolivian population’s voice is notably different, with harsher, more emphatic phrases.
Plumage
Boldly patterned with glossy black head and upperparts contrasting with bright yellow underparts; wings and tail show vivid blue panels. Some populations have a moss-green back; most show a yellow rump, while Bolivian birds have a blue rump. Feathers are sleek and smooth, giving a crisp, high-contrast appearance.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small fruits and berries, taking melastomes and other montane fruits. Supplements its diet with arthropods such as beetles, caterpillars, and spiders gleaned from foliage and twigs. Occasionally probes flowers for nectar and will sally short distances to snatch flying insects.
Preferred Environment
Forages mostly in the mid- to upper-canopy along forest edges, gaps, and fruiting trees. Also uses secondary growth and roadside vegetation where fruit is abundant.
