English               -               Brassy-breasted Tanager

Portuguese       -               Saíra-lagarta

Latin                   -               Tangara Desmaresti

The Brassy-breasted Tanager has to be one of the prettiest birds that I have photographed in Brazil. The photos of the Brassy-breasted Tanager were taken  on a track on the way to Pedra Azul. As I was walking up the track a couple flew into a bush right beside where I was walking, so managed to get some close ups. The day was a bit over cast so the colours of the Brassy-breasted Tanager seem a bit flat so aren’t as bright as if the day was sunny but none the less the colours of this amazing wee bird are still obvious.

* The Brassy-breasted Tanager is a tiny bird of 13 cm and weighs approx. 21 gr.

* It is endemic to the mountains of southeastern Brazil.

* It is found mainly in humid pre-montane and montane forest and at forest edge.

* Calls are like a high, thin “tseee” or abrupt “tsit!”, either singly or repeated.

* You will mainly see them foraging with other species of Tanagers in mixed flocks.

* The Brassy-breasted Tanager diet consists of small fruits and insects.

* The female lays 2 and 3 eggs. Chicks are born after 15-17 days after the eggs are laid. The Chicks leave the nest after 20 days. The Brassy-breasted Tanager can have 2 to 3 broods per season

The Brassy-breasted Tanager does have a large range and its population seems to be stable at this stage therefore it is listed as a species “of least concerned” on the IUCN red list. Like a lot of other species though, The Brassy-breasted Tanager could be affected as deforestation continues.