Yellow-winged Tanager Thraupis abbas Scientific name definitions

This species and the Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus) are the northernmost representatives of the genus Thraupis; both reach well into northeast Mexico, but whereas the Blue-gray Tanager is also widespread in South America, Yellow-winged Tanager reaches its southern terminus in Nicaragua, although there are recent records from northernmost Costa Rica. The species is easily identified by its largely bluish to dusky plumage, relieved principally by the bright yellow blaze at the base of the remiges. Like other Thraupis species, it is usually found at edges and in semi-open areas, and it is rather sociable, being occasionally reported in flocks numbering up to 50 or more individuals. It ranges to at least 1800 m on the Atlantic slope.

17 cm; 38–55 g. A rather dull-plumaged tanager with yellow wingband and fairly thick bill. Head and neck campanula-blue (lilac-blue), brightest on crown, narrow black line over bill and lores , throat usually slightly greyer and paler, often with some black on chin; mantle, scapulars and back smoky blue-grey, mottled with dusky, rump buffy olive, uppertail-coverts dull blue-grey, tail black; lesser upperwing-coverts campanula-blue, median coverts more olive with pale blue tinge and concealed dusky bases, greater coverts buffy olive; flight-feathers and tertials deep black (folded wings forming distinctive triangular black area across rear half of body), broad, sharply defined straw-yellow band crossing lower mid-section of primaries (conspicuous at rest and in flight); blue of throat fades to blue-tinged grey on chest and upper breast, becoming dull buffy olive to yellowish-olive on sides, flanks , belly and undertail-coverts; iris dark brown; bill blackish; legs dark grey. Sexes similar. Juvenile has head and upperparts olive, mottled dusky on back, and is mostly greyish below.

E & SE Mexico (from S Tamaulipas, and SE San Luis Potosí, and from Oaxaca) S on Caribbean slope to NC Nicaragua and on Pacific slope to S Honduras and N & C Nicaragua); recent published records from Nuevo León (Mexico) (1 Ojeda Monroy, O.A. (2009). [First record of the Yellow-winged Tanager (Thraupis abbas) in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico]. Huitzil 10(1): 1–2. In Spanish with English summary. Close ) and N Costa Rica (2 Zuñiga, A. and Sandoval, L. (2011). La Tangara Aliamarilla Thraupis abbas en Costa Rica, historia y dos nuevos registros. Cotinga 33: 78–79. In Spanish. Close ).

Insects and fruit ; fond of figs (Ficus). Lives in pairs when breeding, at other times in pairs or groups up to about ten individuals, occasionally up to 50 or even more. Often attracted to fruiting trees , where typically aggressive and quarrelsome towards other birds and may attempt to drive them away. Often perches high on open bare branches, and may fly off considerable distances to forage or rest. Will hop rather slowly along branches in search of insects; pecks pieces from large fruits, and pecks from areas already opened by other birds. Behaviour much like that of T. episcopus.

Song  described as a slightly reedy descending trill, often with 1 or 2 introductory notes, “shee iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir”, or preceded by 1 or 2 rough notes; also as a high, flat, trill 2–4 seconds long, “che-che-che-che-che...”, often preceded by a single note. High, thin, strained calls  include “sseeu” and “swee”, given from perch or in flight, and other squeaky notes.

Not globally threatened. Fairly common to common. Range encompasses a number of protected areas, including Palenque, Cañon del Sumidero and Cascadas de Agua Azúl National Parks, and Selva del Ocote, Sian Ka’an and Calakmul Biosphere Reserves (all in Mexico), Tikal National Park (Guatemala), Cockscomb Basin National Park (Belize) and Capiro–Calentura National Park (Honduras); may occur also in one or more parks in Nicaragua. Adapted to a variety of second-growth and disturbed habitats and readily found in many localities outside protected areas. Has benefited from partial deforestation and human settlement and faces no serious near-term threats. Range is apparently expanding in NE Mexico (3 Rodríguez-Ruiz, E.R. and Garza-Torres, H.A. (2010). La tángara ala amarilla (Thraupis abbas) en Tamaulipas y su expansión geográfica en el noreste de México. Huitzil. 11(2): 62–65. Close ), where the species was first recorded in Nuevo León in 2007 (4 Ojeda Monroy, O.A. (2009). Primer registro de la tángara ala amarilla (Thraupis abbas) en el estado de Nuevo León, México. Huitzil. 10(1): 1–2. Close ).