Photo: Fernando Moraes
The Seven-colored Tanager is a passerine bird from the Thraupidae family. Also known as band tanager and seven-colored tanager (Descourtilz). It measures about 13.5 centimeters in length and weighs around 18 grams. The adult male displays a complex and bright plumage The head, nape, and chin are turquoise in color. A wide pale green-yellow band crosses the nape and upper mantle, extending around the sides of the neck to the throat. The shoulders are black, and the primary coverts are blue-violet. The rump is yellow-orange, and the upper part of the tail is turquoise-blue. The tail is black with light green edges at the base, turning turquoise blue distally. The flight feathers are black with broad pale green edges. On the underparts, the lower throat and upper breast are black, the central part of the breast is turquoise-blue. The belly is green. The bill is black, with black plumage at its base.. The eyes are dark with a region around them covered in black plumage. The tarsi and feet are black. The female has plumage very similar to the male’s plumage, but hers appears less intense, giving the impression of softer colors. A helpful detail in distinguishing between males and females is the coloration of the back: females have a greenish back while males have this area completely black. The immature bird is very similar to the female, but much less colorful than the adults. The immature bird lacks the vibrant color of the adult’s rump.