General Information
The Blue-gray and the Golden Tanager are both medium-sized South American songbirds of the Tanager family, Thraupidae.
Physical Description
Both birds are 18 cm long and weighs 35 g. The blue-gray adults have a pale blue-gray head and underparts, with darker blue upperparts. The bill is short and quite thick. Sexes are similar, but the immature is much duller in plumage. The Golden Tanager has a bright yellow body with black specks in the wings and top of the body. Its beak is also black and there is the traditional black patch under the eyes as well.
Diet
Both birds live mainly on fruit, but will also take some nectar and insects. This is a common, restless, noisy and confiding species, usually found in pairs, but sometimes small groups. It thrives around human habitation, and will take some cultivated fruit like papaya.
Habitat
Its range is from Mexico south to northeast Bolivia and northern Brazil, all of the Amazon Basin, except the very south. It has been introduced to Lima, Peru
Reproduction
The breeding habitat is open woodland, cultivated areas and gardens. One to three, usually two, dark-marked whitish to grey green eggs are laid in a deep cup nest in a high tree fork or building crevice. Incubation by the female is 14 days with another 17 to fledging. The nest is sometimes parasitised by Molothrus cowbirds.
