Blue Tanager
Scientific Name:
Ihraupis cyanocephala. The bird belongs to the large family of small sub-tropical birds.
Origin: Northwestern areas of South America
The bird is very hardy and is perfect for an outdoor aviary. The bird thrives well in winter if kept in an outdoor snowproof aviary. Most tanagers can be easily tamed and they love to pick up mealworms from the hands of their owners. They are very fond of bathing and a small pool affords endless pleasure and cleans the plumage off from the food pieces and droppings.
Description:
Size: 20 cm (71/2 in).
COCK:
Head: cobalt blue. Back, wings, and tail: black. Underparts: dark blue. Shoulders: golden green. Forehead and eyes: black. Rump: yellow. Beak: black. Legs: dark horn.
HEN:
The hen and the cock are almost similar in appearance. The plumage of the female is dull and greyer compared to the male. The bird behavior gives the best indication of sex.
The blue tanager is usually found in pairs or groups. During the breeding season, the male produces beautiful songs to attract the female.
Diet: (Softbill)
Soft fruits, apples, grapes, oranges, pears, and bananas form a large part of the basic diet. The fine-grade insectile mix should be sprinkled on the fruit. Sponge cake soaked in nectar mixture is enjoyed. Mealworms, well-cleaned maggots, smooth, green caterpillars, grasshoppers, and spiders are ideal live food.
Blue Tanager Breeding: If breeding, remove this bird to a secluded, well-planted aviary of its own. Wicker nest baskets should be hung in bushes in which a pair builds its open cup-shaped nest of dry grasses and roots. Two eggs form the normal clutch and the incubation period lasts 14 days. Only the hen sits on the eggs. Cock and hen both feed the chicks until they fledge between three and four weeks of age. The parents must be provided with plenty of insects, smooth caterpillars, spiders, flies, and locusts. Soft fruit, sponge cake soaked in honey mixture, finely chopped figs and dates, raisins, currants, and sultanas are enjoyed. Crumbled rusks may also be mixed with fruits. Grated carrot-soaked stale bread and milk may be given. Grit, ground eggshells, and some green food should also be fed.
As soon as the young can feed themselves, they should be separated from their parents before any further breeding takes place, or they may be attacked. Cock birds become mature at about one year of age.
Natural Habitat:
The natural habitat of the bird extends from the Southern part of Mexico to the northern region of the Amazon basin. The bird is accustomed to living in a natural habitat of semi-open regions. Most of the time, the bird spends its time on the ground searching for fruit pieces and small insects.
The bird is presently facing extinction threat due to the rapid process of deforestation. The bird’s eggs and chicks are also easy prey for crocodiles, felines, predatory birds, snakes, and such.
See more: Black Crested Bulbul