Magpie Tanagers Cissopsis leverianus
30 July 2006, Parque do Zizo, Eastern Brazil

Magpie Tanagers - clearly named for their pied, ‘magpie-like’ plumages - are found in mobile groups in forest borders and secondary growth or clearings around the Amazon Basin and in south-east Brazil. The eastern subspecies C. l. major (shown here) is larger and has a blacker back than the nominate subspecies found further north.

As Arthur Grosset notes on his excellent website (www.arthurgrosset.com) the Magpie Tanager is conspicuous, noisy (they have a peculiarly squeaky call/song that is very distinctive) and behaves more like a jay than a tanager - calling loudly from the tops of trees and roaming through the forest in noisy bands.

 

 

 

 

 

All photos copyright Charlie Moores