Small bird (11–12 cm) with a distinctive bill, slightly upturned and ending in a hooked tip, specialized for piercing the base of flowers and extracting nectar without pollinating them. Male: dark bluish-gray upperparts and reddish-cinnamon underparts, with a faint dark facial mask. Female: olive-brown above and whitish to ochraceous below, with fine streaking on the breast. Juvenile: similar to the female but more olive. The male resembles the Masked Tanager (Pipraeidea melanonota), but that species is larger and lacks the hooked bill typical of the genus Diglossa.
Geographical distribution: Broad Andean distribution from Venezuela to northwestern Argentina, where it occurs in Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán, Catamarca, and La Rioja, with recent records in Córdoba, between 1,800–3,400 m, and locally up to 4,000 m. Mainly resident, with altitudinal movements that bring it lower in winter.
Habitat: Shrubby environments and open forests of the upper Yungas ecotone; humid or semi-arid ravines; high-Andean shrublands and Baccharis thickets; and areas with abundant tubular flowers (palam palam, Baccharis, Mutisia, etc.). Also found in gardens and disturbed areas where flowering shrubs are present.
Behavior: Very restless, moving among flowering shrubs and exposed branches, where it often sings. Pierces corollas laterally to obtain nectar, often hanging or upside down. Solitary or in pairs; occasionally joins mixed-species flocks. Voice: very rapid, high-pitched metallic trills; common call a very thin “chit chit”.
Diet: Mainly nectar, obtained by piercing the base of flowers with the hooked bill. Also takes small insects, which make up an important part of the diet.
Breeding: Deep cup-shaped nest placed in shrubs or trees and built with plant fibers. Eggs gray-blue with dense brown speckling.
Conservation status: Not considered threatened. In Argentina it is localized and uncommon, especially toward the southern part of its range.
Authors of this compilation: Diego Carus and Maria Belén Dri – 06/12/2025