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Ochre-breasted Tanager Chlorothraupis stolzmanni Scientific name definitions

Steven Hilty
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2011

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Introduction

Ochre-breasted Tanager occurs in the foothills and subtropical forest of the western Andean slope. There, they are fairly common in the forest interior. They travel in groups of up to 10-15 birds, and often join mixed foraging flocks. They forage in the understory by rummaging and sallying for arthopods, fruit, and occasionally small vertebrates. Overall, this species is a dull green-brown and perhaps best identified by its lack of field marks. Note also the heavy black bill, pale gray iris, and yellowish tinge to underparts. In structure, they are large and chunky. Foraging groups are quite noisy, giving incessant, whining chatters.

Field Identification

17 cm; 36·6–43 g. Large and robust, with stout bill and few obvious field marks. Nominate race has head and upperparts, including upperwing and tail, dull dark olive-green with brownish tinge; throat and centre of lower underparts dull ochraceous, rest of underparts dull clay-coloured, breast, sides and flanks tinged olive; iris brownish-grey; bill dusky, basal portion of lower mandible pale blue-grey, sometimes pinkish at corner of gape; legs dusky horn. Sexes similar. Juvenile is darker than adult, dingy brownish, with no pattern or contrasts in plumage. Race dugandi is very like nominate, but has greyish tone on crown and is slightly paler below.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Races weakly differentiated. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Chlorothraupis stolzmanni dugandi Scientific name definitions

Chlorothraupis stolzmanni dugandi
C. s. dugandi +1

Distribution

Pacific slope of Andes in Colombia (C Chocó and Risaralda S to Nariño); extreme NW Ecuador (El Placer, in Esmeraldas).
SUBSPECIES

Chlorothraupis stolzmanni stolzmanni Scientific name definitions

Chlorothraupis stolzmanni stolzmanni
C. s. stolzmanni

Distribution

W slope of Andes in Ecuador from Pichincha S to El Oro.

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

Mostly in lower storey of wet foothill and pre-montane forest and along adjacent borders; recorded at 200–2100 m in Colombia, and mostly 400–1500 m in Ecuador. Confined mostly to a rather narrow elevational band along W base of Andes, corresponding closely to belt of highest rainfall in Western Hemisphere.

Movement

Resident.

Diet and Foraging

Fruits and insects, also flowers. Of 232 feeding records in study in upper R Anchicayá watershed (W Valle del Cauca), in Colombia, fruit-eating comprised 71% of observations, insect-hunting c. 27% and searching at flowers c. 2%. Recorded as eating at least 24 species of fruit, primarily melastomes (87% of all fruit-eating observations), of which 57% were of genus Miconia. Frequently captured large insects, including katydids (Tettigoniidae), skippers (Hesperioidea) and moths (Lepidoptera). Forages in groups of 5–15 individuals throughout year; often joined by other small passerines. In upper R Anchicayá watershed, foraged in a rather plodding manner with heavy hopping in understorey vegetation. Most observed foraging was 1·5–9 m up, more rarely ascended to 15 m or higher, and generally foraged lower for insects than for fruit; median foraging height c. 5·5 m. Perched or occasionally hung downwards awkwardly to take fruit, and snatched berries in short sallies or lunges. Searched for insects by hopping on small live or dead and bare or mossy branches (less than 2·5 cm in diameter) and peering. Used wide range of foraging motions, many of them involving rather clumsy acrobatics, including hanging downwards, stretching upwards, reaching around or under leaves and branches, lunging, and diving to pursue fleeing or perched prey, but seldom took prey in the air.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Rather vocal, like many congeners. Dawn song, given all year, from high exposed canopy perch, a fast, energetic series of variable and mostly unmusical phrases, e.g. “geegeegee wit’er wit’er tututu, weep, twéér- twéér-twéér, eep’eep k’eep eep eep twéér- twéér-twéér jeep-jeep twéér...” and so on in loud uninterrupted stream for half an hour or more; thin “eep” notes extremely high-pitched. Each individual has distinctive repertoire. When foraging, chatters incessantly with rough “jeep-jeep-jeep-jeep”; mobs with loud “jee’ut” and other notes.

Breeding

In Colombia (R Anchicayá), four nests found mid-Jan to mid-Feb, stub-tailed fledgling early Apr, and one female with brood patch in mid-Jun. Rough cup-nest placed 2–5 m up in fork of sapling inside forest; clutch 1–2 eggs, white with dense ring of reddish-brown spots, mostly at large end. No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Fairly common to common locally in Colombia and extreme NW Ecuador (El Placer); decidedly less numerous and more local S in W Ecuador. Occurs in only a few protected sites, including Farallones de Cali National Park (Colombia) and Cotocachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve and Reserva de Milpe (Ecuador). Deforestation within this species’ range, especially in Ecuador, is extensive and its habitat is fragmented. Viability of this species, however, at least in short term, is probably secure so long as existing protected areas are maintained.
Distribution of the Ochre-breasted Tanager - Range Map
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Distribution of the Ochre-breasted Tanager

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Recommended Citation

Hilty, S. (2020). Ochre-breasted Tanager (Chlorothraupis stolzmanni), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.ocbtan1.01
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