About Ramphocelus bresilia (Linnaeus, 1766)
The Brazilian tanager (Ramphocelus bresilia) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is endemic to eastern Brazil and far northeastern Argentina, occurring in the coastal region from Paraíba southwards to Santa Catarina and Misiones. Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus first described the Brazilian tanager in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae, where he gave it the binomial name Tanagra bresilia. It is currently placed in the genus Ramphocelus, which was introduced by French zoologist Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest in 1805.
The Brazilian tanager is a typical member of its family, with a heavy bill and sexually dimorphic plumage. It measures 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs 28–35.5 g (0.99–1.25 oz). Males have bright red plumage with black wings and a black tail; their bill is black on the upper half and pale on the lower half. Females are mostly grey-brown, with brown-red coloring on the belly and breast.
This species is omnivorous, feeding on pulpy fruits, seeds, and insects (it is also described as frugivorous). It is easily found in its natural biome wherever sufficient food is available, and tends to behave aggressively toward other bird species when competing for food. Its habitats include non-forested shrubby areas: coastal scrub, forest clearings, forest edges, swamps, gardens, and city parks. While the species has declined in some areas due to trapping for the caged bird trade, it is tolerant of disturbed habitats and is not considered threatened with extinction. Brazilian tanagers build cup-shaped nests hidden in foliage, where they lay two to three greenish-blue eggs marked with black spots.
