A mostly blackbird that shines like a gem due to iridescent green to blue-green flecks over most of his plumage.

Meet the Beryl-spangled tanager

Photo Courtesy of Félix Uribe / CC BY-SA 2.0

The beryl-spangled tanager (Tangara nigroviridis), is a small songbird of the northern Andes. An unmistakable bird due to its entire body being boldly spotted with bright blue and green gems which contrast nicely with its black mask and back, giving its plumage a brightly spangled turquoise appearance.

Photo Courtesy of Félix Uribe / CC BY-SA 2.0

No other bird in the Tanager family is so boldly spotted.

The female of this species is also quite brilliantly colored, though not quite as vividly as the male.

Photo Courtesy of ryanacandee / CC BY 2.0

This bird’s range includes areas in Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil, inhibiting the tropical regions of these countries.

Living in these humid forests, this bird likes to dine on fruit and nectar spreading seeds wherever it goes, in the process fostering the growth of new trees as it goes about feeding.

Photo Courtesy of Francesco Veronesi – CC BY 2.0

The female of this species builds a mossy nest in the fork of her chosen tree, where she lays 2-5 eggs around March. She will incubate the eggs for 13 to 15 days. The chicks will be fully-fledged in about 14 to 20 days.

It is thought there are about 10,000 birds, being a stable population that is not too fragmented, or under threat.

Watch this bird right here in the video below:

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