Green-capped Tanager Stilpnia meyerdeschauenseei Scientific name definitions

Named for Rodolphe Meyer de Schauensee, the Green-capped Tanager is predominately pale turquoise-green, with a greenish-straw crown and blue underparts tinged buff, which color is most noticeable on undertail-coverts. It is relatively common at three sites in the arid headwaters of the Río Inambari in Puno, southeast Peru, and has recently been reported from Madidi National Park, in northwest Bolivia. Given the species’ small range, it is currently considered to be Near Threatened under IUCN criteria. The Peruvian range has already been heavily modified, whilst the recent Bolivian report is from humid Yungas forest, and all records are from 1,450 to 2,200m. The species is usually found singly, in pairs or groups of three or four.

SE Peru (mainly R Inambari headwaters, in E Puno) and W Bolivia (Madidi National Park and Apolo area, in La Paz) (1 Berg, M., van Kleunen, A. and Hennessey, A.B. (2014). Range and status of Green-capped Tanager Tangara meyerdeschauenseei in Bolivia. Cotinga 36: 52–55. Close ).

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened, having been downlisted from Vulnerable. Restricted-range species: present in Upper Inambari Valley Secondary Area. Fairly common to locally common. Has extremely small known global range, estimated at c. 380 km². In SE Peru, known to occur at three sites in Puno, including head of R Inambari near Sandia, and W side of Abra de Maruncunca. In Bolivia, a pair recorded in Nov 2001 near Tokoaque (at 2150 m), in Madidi National Park (2 Hennessey, A. B., and M. I. Gómez (2003). Four bird species new to Bolivia: an ornithological survey of the Yungas site Tokoaque, Madidi National Park. Cotinga 19:25–33. Close ), and several birds recorded in May–Apr 2011 in the environs of Atén and above Santa Cruz de Valle Ameno, both in areas of scrub and in humid Yungas forests (3 Berg, M., van Kleunen, A. and Hennessey, A.B. (2014). Range and status of Green-capped Tanager Tangara meyerdeschauenseei in Bolivia. Cotinga. 36: 52–55. Close ). While some doubt remains about original habitat occupied by this species, its presence in semi-arid habitats and settled areas in dry regions of extreme SE Peru (Sandia region) suggests that it probably has always occurred in drier, semi-open terrain; thus, it is able to utilize highly modified habitats. Population trends undocumented, but recent observations suggest the species is increasing in numbers, and may be expanding in conjunction with local habitat degradation.