The Moss-backed Tanager is a stunning bird that belongs to the Thraupidae family, along with other tanagers, honeycreepers, and euphonias. It is the only bird in North America that has a completely red or yellow body, depending on the sex.The male has a bright green upperparts and a yellow belly, with a wide golden-yellow eyebrow stripe and a violet-blue cap. The female is similar, but has a greenish-yellow belly and a narrower eyebrow stripe. Both sexes have a black bill, a long tail, and a blond crest that can be raised or lowered.
The Moss-backed Tanager lives in the humid tropical lowlands of Central America, from Mexico to Panama. It prefers evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, but also occurs in mangroves, coastal scrub, and clearings with tall trees. It is uncommon and often inconspicuous, as it forages mainly at middle to upper levels of the forest.
The Moss-backed Tanager feeds mostly on ants and termites, which it catches on the wing or pecks from tunnels and bark. It also eats other insects, seeds, nuts, berries, eggs, and small animals. It sometimes visits bird feeders, where it may compete with other birds for food. It has a loud and harsh voice, and can imitate the sounds of other birds, animals, and humans. It has a distinctive chuckling call note, and a song that resembles a robin’s but is clearer and less nasal.
The Moss-backed Tanager breeds from March to June, depending on the location. It builds a cup-shaped nest of twigs, moss, and mud, usually in a conifer tree. The female lays 3 to 6 greenish or bluish eggs with brown spots, and the male helps to incubate the eggs and feed the young. The chicks fledge after about 16 days, and stay with their parents for another month or so.
The Moss-backed Tanager is a resident bird that does not migrate. It is not threatened by extinction, and has a large and stable population. However, it may face some threats from habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation, as well as from predators, parasites, and diseases. Therefore, it is important to protect and conserve its natural environment, and to appreciate its beauty and role in the ecosystem.
