Golden-hooded tanager

Quick Facts

  • Scientific Name: Stilpnia larvata
  • Spanish Name: Tangara capuchidorada
  • Family: Thraupidae
  • Known Nicknames: Golden-masked tanager, Golden-hooded tanager
  • Average Length: 13–14 cm / 5.1–5.5 in
  • Average Weight: 18–23 g / 0.63–0.81 oz
  • Wingspan: N/A
  • Key Feature: Striking golden-yellow hood and black mask around the eyes
  • Primary Diet: Primarily Frugivore and Insectivore
  • Range: Southern Mexico to western Ecuador
  • Habitat: Humid lowland and foothill forests, forest edges, and plantations
  • Social Structure: Often seen in pairs or small mixed-species flocks
  • Nesting/Breeding: Cup-shaped nest built in a tree fork
  • Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
  • Population Trend: Stable

The Golden-hooded Tanager (*Stilpnia larvata*) is a dazzling jewel of Central and South American forests, instantly recognizable by its vibrant, turquoise-blue body contrasted with a brilliant golden-yellow hood that covers its head and throat. A striking black mask around the eyes and a pale, silvery-blue bill add to its unique, almost theatrical appearance. Unlike many tanagers, it often forages in mixed-species flocks, flitting actively through the canopy to feast on fruit and insects. A special feature is its subtle iridescence: the blue feathers can shift to a deep, metallic green in certain lights, making this small, energetic bird a living prism of the rainforest.

Faits amusants

The Golden-hooded tanager has a peculiar habit of following army ant swarms, not to eat the ants, but to snatch the insects and spiders that flee the chaos, a behavior called “ant-following” that it shares with few other tanagers. Unlike many birds, both parents build the nest, incubate eggs, and feed chicks, but they often receive help from unrelated “helper” males, a rare cooperative breeding quirk. Its vivid blue and yellow plumage is not just for show—the feathers contain structural color from microscopic crystal lattices that scatter light, making them appear iridescent even in shade. During courtship, the male performs a unique “butterfly flight,” fluttering in slow, exaggerated loops while singing a high-pitched, insect-like trill to impress the female.

Habitats et répartition

The Golden-hooded tanager is found from southern Mexico through Central America to western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. Its habitat consists primarily of humid tropical and subtropical forests, including forest edges, second-growth woodlands, and shaded coffee plantations, typically from sea level up to about 1,500 meters in elevation. It thrives in both lowland rainforests and montane cloud forests, often frequenting the canopy and middle levels of trees, and is also common in semi-open areas with scattered tall trees.

Comportements & Reproduction

Golden-hooded tanagers are socially monogamous, with pairs forming during the breeding season from March to July. Courtship involves the male chasing the female through the canopy and performing a "wing-quiver" display, where he flutters his partially open wings while singing. Both sexes build a bulky cup-shaped nest from moss, plant fibers, and spiderwebs, typically placed in a tree fork or among epiphytes. The female lays two pale blue eggs with brown speckles and incubates them alone for about 13–14 days, while the male brings food. After hatching, both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after 15–17 days. A unique reproductive strategy is their occasional use of old nests from other bird species, such as flycatchers, and they may raise up to two broods per season, often reusing the same nest after minor repairs.

Alimentation

The Golden-hooded tanager is primarily frugivorous, with fruit making up the bulk of its diet, but it is also an opportunistic insectivore. It actively forages in the canopy and mid-story of forests, often joining mixed-species flocks, where it plucks small berries, figs, and other soft fruits. An interesting fact is that this tanager will also visit banana and papaya plantations or garden feeders where ripe fruit is offered, and it has been observed using its sharp bill to glean insects, spiders, and even small caterpillars from leaves and bark, especially during the breeding season when protein demands increase for feeding chicks. Additionally, it occasionally sips nectar from flowers, making it a minor but effective pollinator for certain tropical plants.

Couleurs

The Golden-hooded tanager has a striking black mask and throat, contrasting with a bright golden-yellow hood and nape. Its back is a deep blue-black, while the belly and chest are pale blue-gray, blending into a white undertail. The wings and tail show vivid turquoise-blue edges, and the rump is a brilliant emerald green. This bold, non-cryptic coloration serves as visual signaling rather than camouflage.