English            -               Burnished-buff Tanager

Portuguese     -              Saíra Amarela

Latin                 -               Tangara cayana

I photographed the Burnished-buff Tanager at Museu Mello Leitão in the town of Santa Teresa which is about 80 km north west of Vila Velha ES. Museu Mello Leitao is a Biological museum but it is in a park like setting which attracts different birds species + a few mammals. (the best thing about it though is that it’s free to get in) Unfortunately the day I went to visit, it was over cast and rainy as you can see by some of the photos. I have photographed the Burnished-buff Tanager before, so it wasn’t a “lifer” for me but it was the first time I got reasonably close to one. The Burnished-buff Tanager didn’t seem to concerned by my presence and I managed to get quite a few photos of it. A good looking wee bird and was very happy to get some reasonable good photos of it.

* The Burnished-buff Tanager is also known as the Rufous-crowned Tanager

* It has a length of around 14 cm and weighs around 23 g.

* The Burnished-buff Tanager can be a vocal bird at times. Has a buzzy “tzzit”, type sound.

* It is found in Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, Brazil, Bolivia, southern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina.

* Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry scrubland, and subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland.

* The Burnished-buff Tanager’s diet consists principally of fruits like papayas, bananas, berries and palm fruits. It also takes insects such as wasps and termites.

* The female lays 2-3 eggs which are incubated for around 14 days. The nestlings fledge after 16 days.

* The Burnished-buff Tanager appears to have stable populations and a huge geographical range therefore it is classified to be a species ”of least concern” by the IUCN Red List.