Common Names: Orange Tanager, Seven-colored Tanager.
Subspecies:
Thraupis bonariensis bonariensis: (J. F. Miller, 1789), nominal subspecies, found in southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina (east of the country, down to southern Buenos Aires).
Thraupis bonariensis schulzei: (Brodkorb, 1938), found in southeastern Bolivia, western Paraguay, and western Argentina (south of Mendoza, up to northern Río Negro).
Thraupis bonariensis compositai: (J. T. Zimmer, 1944), found only in Bolivia.
Thraupis bonariensis darwiniii: (Bonaparte, 1838), found in the Andes of Ecuador, Peru, eastern Bolivia, and northern Chile.
Description: 17 cm. Males are very striking, with a violet-blue cap, a black back, lore, and tail, and a yellow-orange chest and rump. Some feathers of the same color as the cap appear on the primaries. The female has a simpler design, being brown with a darker back and lighter underside. Juveniles are very similar to females but show early signs of the cap they will develop as adults. Among juveniles and adults, it is common to find numerous intermediate plumages. The species is pursued as a cage bird, which has reduced its population in recent times.
Sexual Dimorphism: Present, very marked and clearly distinguishable in the field.
Habitat: Dense mountains, dry shrublands, fruit plantations, rural areas, savannas, and settlements.
Geographical Distribution: Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Argentina.
Behavior: Seen in pairs or small groups, it is a shy bird that does not frequent the ground and usually stays in the tree canopy looking for food.
Nesting: Begins building in early spring, forming a cup-shaped nest with plant fibers, located high in a tree where foliage is abundant. It lays three to four white eggs with brown speckles and spots.
Feeding: It feeds on seeds, fruits, and insects.
Author of this description: Diego Oscar