Family Tanagers (Thraupidae)

Least Concern

Yellow-bellied Tanager (Tangara xanthogastra)

Taxonomy

French: Calliste à ventre jaune German: Gelbbauchtangare Spanish: Tangara ventriamarilla

Taxonomy:

Calliste xanthogastra

P. L. Sclater

, 1851,

Río Negro, Peru

See T. varia. Highland race phelpsi differs in numerous ways from nominate, and was mentioned in HBW as possibly meriting separate species status; but diagnostic characters (slightly longer wing and tail, heavier bill, more yellowish-green head, duller flanks, and more yellow on underparts) all appear minor. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution

T. x. xanthogastra (P. L. Sclater, 1851) – E Colombia (from Meta and Vaupés) E to S Venezuela (S Amazonas and SW Bolívar), S to E Ecuador, E Peru, W Brazil (E to R Negro, middle R Juruá and upper R Purus), and N Bolivia (S to Cochabamba).

T. x. phelpsi J. T. Zimmer, 1943 – S Venezuela in N Amazonas and N & E Bolívar (from lower R Caura E to Uei-tepui, on Brazilian border); also adjacent W Guyana.

Descriptive notes

11 cm; 13–18 g. Small, green, heavily spotted tanager with bright yellow along central abdomen; bill rather thin. Nominate race has lores black, ocular ring bright green,... read more

Voice

Weak “chit” and “seet” notes, much like those of many congeners. Song a series of descending, buzzy... read more

Habitat

Primarily occurs in high canopy and emergent trees of humid várzea and terra firme... read more

Food and feeding

Diet includes small fruits and insects. Recorded fruits are Miconia species and other melastome berries, Cecropia catkins... read more

Breeding

No information.

Movements

Resident.

Status and conservation

Not globally threatened. Uncommon, and at rather low density across lowlands; race phelpsi perhaps locally more numerous in tepui highlands. Occurs in numerous... read more

Bibliography

Public comments

Scientific classification

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Thraupidae

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In past, included in a much broader Emberizidae. Probably sister to Cardinalidae, with these two perhaps sister to Mitrospingidae#R #R #R #R. Family limits and internal structure extensively revised in recent years on basis of numerous genetic studies#R #R #R #R #R #R. These have led to subdivision into 15 subfamilies, as well as numerous other notable changes (as compared to HBW) including: relocation herein of Parkerthraustes and Saltator from Cardinalidae, and of Charitospiza, Coryphaspiza, Embernagra, Emberizoides, Incaspiza, Porphyrospiza, Tiaris, Euneornis, Loxipasser, Loxigilla, Melanospiza, Certhidea, Platyspiza, Pinaroloxias, Geospiza, Volatinia, Coryphospingus, Rhodospingus, Sporophila, Piezorina, Xenospingus, Poospiza, Donacospiza, Sicalis, Phrygilus, Nesospiza, Rowettia, Melanodera, Haplospiza, Acanthidops, Idiopsar, Catamenia, Lophospingus, Diuca, Gubernatrix and Paroaria from Emberizidae (=Passerellidae); and also removal of Chlorophonia and Euphonia to Fringillidae, of Rhodinocichla to Rhodinocichlidae, of Chlorospingus to Passerellidae, of Phaenicophilus to Phaenicophilidae, of Spindalis to Spindalidae, of Nesospingus to Nesospingidae, of Calyptophilus to Calyptophilidae, of Lamprospiza, Mitrospingus and Orthogonys to Mitrospingidae, and of Habia, Chlorothraupis and Piranga to Cardinalidae. Generic limits within family also extensively revised, and associated sequence of species followed herein#R.

Subfamily: Thraupinae

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“Core tanagers”, with over 100 species, including a clade most members of which (Lophospingus, Diuca, Gubernatrix, Paroaria) were previously treated in Emberizidae and one species (Pseudosaltator rufiventris) previously treated in Cardinalidae#R.

Genus: Tangara Brisson, 1760

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Recent molecular research revealed that genus Thraupis, which gives its name to the family, is embedded within Tangara, which is the older name; one option (adopted here) is to treat all remaining species in family in Tangara, while the other would require the use of Thraupis for species episcopus, sayaca, glaucocolpa, cyanoptera (Azure-shouldered Tanager), whitelyi, abbas, ornata and palmarum, along with resurrected Ixothraupis for varia, rufigula, punctata, guttata and xanthogastra, resurrected Chalcothraupis for ruficervix and fulvicervix, new genus Poecilostreptus for cabanisi and palmeri, and new genus Stilpnia for cyanoptera (= argentea, Black-headed Tanager), viridicollis, phillipsi, argyrofenges, heinei, larvata, cyanicollis, nigrocincta, peruviana, preciosa, meyerdeschauenseei, vitriolina, cayana, flava and cucullata#R.

See full taxonomic structure and notes