Image via Macaulay Library
Spangle-cheeked Tanager
- Scientific name
- Tangara dowii
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Conservation status
- Least concern
- Habitat
- Forest mixed
- Wing shape
- Rounded
- Tail shape
- Rounded
Where it came from
The Spangle-cheeked Tanager, or Tangara dowii, is a montane passerine bird native to the humid forests of Costa Rica and western Panama. First described by George Newbold Lawrence in 1863, the species was named in honor of John Melmoth Dow, a sea captain and naturalist who collected specimens in Central America. Its evolutionary history is deeply intertwined with the high-altitude cloud forests of the Talamancan range, where it has adapted to feed primarily on small fruits and berries.
The bird is characterized by its distinctive plumage, featuring a dark, velvety appearance punctuated by iridescent blue-green spangles on its cheeks and wings. Its rounded wings and tail are specific morphological adaptations that allow for agile, maneuverable flight within the dense, tangled understory of its high-elevation habitat. Ornithologists often note its social nature, as it is frequently observed foraging in mixed-species flocks, a behavior that serves as a vital survival strategy in the competitive environment of the neotropical canopy.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
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