Almost completely clad in a coat of brilliant green, their backs are slightly darker, with the rump being paler.
Clad head to tail in vivid, glistening emerald green, save for two small patches behind the eyes, this bird is a true avian jewel.
Meet the Glistening-green Tanager
The glistening-green tanager (Chlorochrysa phoenicotis), is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family. Completely clad in a coat of brilliant green, their backs are slightly darker, with the rump being paler. Upperwings and lesser median coverts are greyish-olive but often concealed. Flight feathers are blackish with bright green edges, and the tail is blackish with a green central pair of feathers.
Photo (frame reduced) Courtesy of Bettina Arrigoni / CC BY 2.
Just behind the eyes are two tufts of greyish and orange feathers.
Females can be a bit duller, but still very green, and sometimes lack the white and red spots on their heads.
Photo Courtesy of Bettina Arrigoni / CC BY 2.0
This bird can be found in the forested areas of Columbia and Ecuador.
Not very common in its range Glistening Green Tanagers like mossy secondary growth in the Andean foothills and lower subtropical forest. Here it feeds on arthropods and larvae. Occasional feeding on fruit too.
Not very much is known about breeding behavior, however, it is known to breed between May and September in Colombia.
One observation was made of a small cup-shaped nest hollowed in the moss on the side of a limb, young appearing to be fed by both parents.
This bird is considered uncommon and in a state of slow decline. Their habitat is threatened by deforestation due to mining, agriculture, and expanding development.
Watch this bird right here in the video below: