Cherry-throated tanager

Nemosia rourei

Photo by Andre Luca (Arkive)



Common name:


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Thraupidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Brazil and is currently only found the south-eastern state of Espírito Santo, at Fazenda Pindobas and Mata do Caetés.
Size:
These birds are 12,5-14 cm long and weigh 22 g.
Habitat:

It occurs primarily in the canopy of humid montane forest at elevations of 850-1.250 m.

Diet:
The cherry-throated tanager mostly eats small invertebrates such as caterpillars, butterflies, ants and other arthropods.
Breeding:
Although not much information is available, this species seems to breed in October-January. Similar species have a clutch size of 3-5 eggs and the females incubate the eggs alone for 10-13 days. In similar species the chicks fledge 8-11 days after hatching.
Conservation:
IUCN status – CR (Critically Endangered)
This species has an extremely restricted breeding range and the global population size is estimated at just 50-250 individuals. This species was first recorded in the 1870s, but was rarely recorded until the 1990s. Currently the population is suspected to be declining at a rate of 10-19% over ten years, as a result of ongoing forest clearance owing to conversion to coffee plantations, mining activities and subsistence usage.