Turquoise Tanager - Tangara mexicana

There are five subspecies of Turquoise Tanagers in South America. Even though their scientific name is 'mexicana', they are not found in Mexico.

The adult is mainly dark blue and black, with turquoise edging to the primaries. Most races have yellow lower underparts, but this is paler, more cream in the nominate subspecies found in north-eastern South America. The Trinidadian race, T. m. vieiloti, has a darker blue head and breast and more vividly yellow underparts than the mainland taxa. The taxon brasiliensis differs more conspicuously, it having an overall duller blue plumage, blue edging to the primaries and a white belly.

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Adult

11/05/2014 - Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 11/05/2014 - Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA	05/24/2012 - Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 05/24/2012 - Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA	02/12/2013 - San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA 02/12/2013 - San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA
02/12/2013 - San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA 02/12/2013 - San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA	02/12/2013 - San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA 02/12/2013 - San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA	10/10/2013 - Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA 10/10/2013 - Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA
02/05/2014 - Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 02/05/2014 - Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA

Diet:

Courtship:

Nesting:

Habitat and Range: Turquoise Tanagers prefer semiopen habitats. For example, forest edges, tree-studded clearing, shaded plantations, and parks and gardens. These tanagers are found in Trinidad, Colombia, Venezuela south to Bolivia and much of Brazil.

Vocalization:

Plumage/Molt:

Migration:

Tongue/feet:

Bibliography:

• http://en.wikipedia.org The Free Encyclopedia, Accessed June, 2013
• Isler, Morton L. and Isler, Phyllis R., The Tanagers: Natural History, distribution, and Identification,Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C., 1987

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