Swallow Tanager Gallery

Tersina viridis

The Birds of the World website provides this introductory information about the Swallow Tanager:  The Swallow Tanager is a widespread inhabitant of humid forest edge and second growth forest across much of South America, south to southern Brazil. A stunning bird, male Swallow Tanagers are shining turquoise blue, with a broad bill and black on the forehead and throat.  Female Swallow Tanagers are a dull green overall with buffy yellow underparts.  Swallow Tanagers perch with a characteristic upright posture. They diet includes both fruit and insects; fruit usually is taken while perched, but insects are captured in sallying flight. Swallow Tanagers nest singly or in loose colonies in burrows in dirt banks, or in cavities in buildings. After the breeding season Swallow Tanagers can be seen in groups that vary in size from 5 to up to 100 individuals.  The abundance of Swallow Tanagers often varies throughout the year at many sites, suggesting nomadic movements, and some populations in northern and southern South America clearly are migratory.

I saw and photographed my first Swallow Tanagers on August 20, 2023 in the Amazon Basin Region of Brazil.  Our small group with Jeff Parker Tours was at Southwild’s Fazenda São Nicolau located on the Juruena River west of Alta Floresta. We left the lodge early that morning headed back to Cuiabá, taking a boat to the ferry landing on the other side of the Juruena River.  It was on this boat ride that I saw a pair of Swallow Tanagers, one male and one female, perched near the river. For a more detailed description of the trip that included my sighting of this bird look at this blog post.  Here are some of my photos of this little bird.