Saffron-crowned Tanager (Tangara xanthocephala) - 10Aug2024

This retina-searing tanager inhabits highland forests along the Andes range from Venezuela down to Peru.  I photographed these at Ukuku lodge in the central cordillera.

Masked Saltator (Saltator cinctus) - 18Aug2024

This saltator has several disjunct populations in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.  Although it has a IUCN status of Least Concern, it is threatened by habitat loss and is not super common.  I remember our guide was pretty excited about finding one for us, albeit not very cooperative for photos.  My only photo is super overexposed or it would have been completely black and backlit.  Photo taken in the western cordillera in Colombia.

Streaked Saltator (Saltator striatipectus) - 11Aug2024

This species of saltator is common across much of northwestern South America and southern Central America. They can be found in a variety of habitats including montane forests of the western cordillera in Colombia which is where I photographed these.

Cinnamon-bellied Saltator (Saltator grandis) - 15 & 19 Apr2019

The Cinnamon-bellied Saltator is a Mexican and Central American species spanning both coasts of Mexico including the entirety of the Yucatan which is where I photographed these.

Olive-gray Saltator (Saltator olivascens) - 28Jul2019

This saltator of northern South America can be found as far west as where Panama meets Colombia and as far east as the Guianas.  Although its other name in the Caribbean Gray Saltator, it can be found quite far inland and as far south as northern Brazil.  All my photos are from the Guajira Peninsula in Colombia.

 

Orinocan Saltator (Saltator orenocensis) - 30Jul2019

The Orinocan Saltator inhabits the dry forests of northeastern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.  We had ours on the Guajira Peninsula on my first trip to Colombia. 

Black-winged Saltator (Saltator atripennis) - 13Aug2024

The Black-winged Saltator shares a genus with the 15 other traditional saltator species in South America.  It inhabits montane forests all three of the central cordilleras in Colombia and spills over into Ecuador.  Although it has a IUCN status of Least Concern, it is not very common and we only saw this one between both of my visits to Colombia.  This one was photographed on the grounds of the Montezuma Rainforest Lodge.

Black-throated Saltator (Saltatricula atricollis) - 11Aug2022

This inhabitant of dry forests and savannah in central and eastern South America is called a saltator but sits in a genus with a finch.  We only ran into one or two in our time in the Brazilian Pantanal but I am looking forward to spending more time with them later in 2026 when I am slated to visit their territory in the east of that gorgeous country.

Puerto Rican Bullfinch (Melopyrrha portoricensis) - 23Dec2014

I will definitely need to go back to Puerto Rico for several reasons, one of them being this horrible photo of this island endemic species.  I think at the time I was not even aware it was a distinct species within the Antillean Bullfinch complex.  The good news is that unlike some other PR endemics, this one is relatively stable and common.

Red-crested Finch (Coryphospingus cucullatus) - 16Aug2022

The Red-crested Finch, also known as the Red-pileated Finch, mostly inhabits the large area in south central South America surrounding the Pantanal but also has some disjunct populations in the north. The below photos are from the Pantanal in Brazil.  It is mostly non-migratory but some of them will move north a bit into Amazonia in cold months. 

Paramo Seedeater (Catamenia homochroa) - 04Aug2019 & 17Aug2024

This high elevation seedeater from Venezuela down to Bolivia is similar to the Plain-colored Seedeater but much darker, almost black.  It inhabits similar habitats but also strays into the adjacent montane forests.  I photographed them on my first trip to Colombia in the Santa Marta range and then again 5 years later near Termales del Ruiz in the western cordillera.  Hopefully I will get another shot because they stayed far off both times.

Plain-colored Seedeater (Catamenia inornata) - 17Aug2024

The Plain-colored Seedeater inhabits high elevation scrubland or grasslands along the Andes range from Venezuela all the way down to central Argentina.  I photographed these in the western cordillera on my second trip to Colombia.  

Rusty-collared Seedeater (Sporophila collaris) - 11 & 22 Aug2022

The Rusty-collared Seedeater is a non-migratory species inhabiting the southeastern parts of South America including much of the Pantanal in Brazil which is where I photographed these on both ends of the trip.

Plumbeous Seedeater (Sporophila plumbea) - 15Aug2022

The Plumbeous Seedeater is a South American species with several disjunct populations in northern and central South America.   It is sexually dimorphic like many of the seedeaters, with males usually more flashy and the females being trickier to identify.  It is a non-migratory species.  I photographed these in Chapada dos Guimaraes in Brazil.

Double-collared Seedeater (Sporophila caerulescens) - 15Aug2022

This seedeater is an austral migrant, meaning it spends the summer further south in South America and then migrates north to Amazonia to spend the winter.  This one was photographed in the southern Pantanal in Brazil.

Purplish-mantled Tanager (Iridosornis porphyrocephalus) - 14Aug2024

This stunning tanager of high elevation forests in Colombia and Ecuador posed quite nicely for me, but most of my shots have him/her munching on some morsel so they aren't as "clean" as I would like but I will take it!  They are fairly common and consequently have a IUCN rating of Least Concern.

Black-Chinned Mountain Tanager (Anisognathus notabilis) - 14Aug2024

This is probably one of the only Mountain Tanagers that I didn't get good photos of on my two first trips to Colombia.   They inhabit a smaller range than most of the other Mountain Tanagers, particularly in the western cordillera of Colombia and Ecuador. 

Blue-winged Mountain Tanager (Anisognathus somptuosus) - 13Aug2024

I couldn't have asked this beautiful bird to pose more cooperatively for me.  This aptly named species inhabits high elevation forests from Venezuela down to Bolivia and also some lower elevation spots in Venezuela.  My photograph is from my second trip to Colombia.

Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager (Anisognathus igniventris) - 07Aug2024

Tanagers are eye-popping in general, but this large one that inhabits montane forests in the Andes from Venezuela down to Bolivia,  takes it to another level.  Unfortunately on my good shots below, he has his blue rump covered with his wings so I included a less crisp shot showing that feature.  They are apparently common at the right elevations.  All my photos from my second trip to Colombia.

Lacrimose Mountain Tanager (Anisognathus lacrymosus) - 20Aug2024

The Lacrimose Mountain Tanager is widespread at high elevation in the Andes from Venezuela down to Peru.  It is so named because of the "tear drop" next to its eye.  We had them in a couple different places on my second trip to Colombia.

Black-cheeked Mountain Tanager (Anisognathus melanogenys) - 04Aug2019

The Black-cheeked Mountain Tanager is also known as the Santa Marta Mountain Tanager which I think is a better name because it is truly a Santa Marta endemic.  It is only found in high elevation forests of the Santa Marta Mountains in the northeast of Colombia. 

Grass-green Tanager (Chlorornis riefferii) - 18Aug2024

This unique looking tanager inhabits high elevation montane forests in the Andes from Colombia down through Bolivia.  I photographed this one on my second trip to Colombia.

Blue-capped Tanager (Sporathraupis cyanocephala) - 14 & 18 Aug2024

The Blue-capped Tanager is mostly a high elevation species in the Andes from Venezuela down to Bolivia, but it does venture down to sea level in Venezuela.  We had them in a couple different spots on my second trip to Colombia.

Hooded Mountain Tanager (Buthraupis montana) - 17Aug2024

This awesome tanager is one of the largest tanagers and has some bright colors to boot.   It is found in high elevation montane forests of the Andean highlands from Venezuela down to Bolivia.  We had this one at a feeder set up on the grounds of Termales del Ruiz in Colombia.

Gold-ringed Tanager (Bangsia aureocincta) - 14Aug2024

I only obtained one half decent photo of this Vulnerable (IUCN criteria) tanager that is endemic to a small area of montane cloud forest in the western cordillera in Colombia.  Photographed at Camino Montezuma where they have set aside forests for this flagship species.

Black-and-gold Tanager (Bangsia melanochlamys) - 15Aug2024

The Black-and-gold Tanager is endemic to the western cordillera in Colombia.  This one was photographed on the Camino Montezuma.

Crimson-backed Tanager (Ramphocelus dimidiatus) - 10Aug2024

This beauty of a tanager inhabits the forests of Venezuela, Colombia and Panama and oddly enough has been introduced to French Polynesia.  I had them on both of my trips to Colombia but improved on pictures on the second trip.