The metallic-green tanager (Tangara labradorides) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
The blue-and-black tanager was first described as Tanagra (Aglaia) labradorides by Auguste Boissonneau in 1840 on the basis of a specimen from Santa Fe, Colombia.[2] The generic name Tangara comes from the Tupí word tangara, meaning dancer. The specific name labradorides is from the French pierre de Labrador (feldspar), and the Ancient Greek -ides, meaning resembling, referring to the species' metallic blue-green color, which resembles that of feldspar.[3] Metallic-green tanager is the official common name designated by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC).[4]
The metallic-green tanager is one of 27 species in the genus Tangara. It was previously thought to form a species group with the blue-browed and golden-naped tanagers. However, phylogenetic studies have shown that the golden-naped tanager is only distantly related to the other two species in the group. Its relation with the blue-browed tanager is also unclear, as some studies have shown the metallic-green tanager to be sister to the blue-browed tanager, but others have found this grouping to be paraphyletic.[5][6][7]
There are two recognized subspecies of the metallic-green tanager.[4] DNA studies have shown that the rate of divergence between in nucleotide sequences between the two subspecies is higher than that of several other tanagers currently recognized as distinct species.[5][6]
Painting of metallic-green tanager (below) with a golden-naped tanager (above)
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A metallic-green tanager eating fruit.
The metallic-green tanager (Tangara labradorides) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
