Rufous-crested Tanager

The rufous-crested tanager (Creurgops verticalis) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Taxonomy: The rufous-crested tanager was formally described as Creurgops verticalis by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1858 based on a specimen collected from the Napo River in eastern Ecuador. There are no recognized subspecies besides the nominate.

 The rufous-crested tanager measures around 15 cm in length and weighs around on average. It has a thick-set beak with a "tooth" at its tip, although this feature is only visible when examined from a close distance. This tanager is sexually dimorphic. Males have broadly lead-gray upperparts and cinnamon-rufous undersides. The top of the head has black-margined cinnamon-rufous feathers that form a crest. These feathers can be raised to display the crest, but are usually relaxed. Females lack these crests, but are otherwise similar to males in their appearance.

Distribution and habitat: The rufous-crested tanager is an Andean endemic, being found from Venezuela south through Colombia and Ecuador into central Peru. It is a denizen of moist, mossy cloud forests and forest edges at elevations of 1100–2800 meters.