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Cherry-throated tanager

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Cherry-throated tanager
1872 illustration based on the holotype specimen
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thraupidae
Genus: Nemosia
Species:
N. rourei
Binomial name
Nemosia rourei
Cabanis, 1870
Distribution within Brazil

The cherry-throated tanager (Nemosia rourei) is a medium-sized passerine bird. This critically endangered tanager is an endemic to handful of localities in the Atlantic Forest in Espírito Santo, Brazil, though the possibility that it occurs in adjacent parts of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro cannot be discounted. It has a striking, essentially black-white-red plumage.

Taxonomy

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The cherry-throated tanager was described in 1870 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis of the Natural History Museum, Berlin, as Nemosia rourei. Cabanis based the description on a single specimen sent to him by the Swiss ornithologist Carl Euler, who lived on a fazenda in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Euler wrote that he had obtained the specimen from a friend, the ornithologist and veteran bird collector Jean de Roure, and that de Roure received the specimen after it was shot in "Muriahié" (Muriaé), Minas Gerais, at the northern bank of the Paraíba do Sul river.[2][3] A life illustration of the new species was published two years after the description, in 1872.[3] The specimen, which became the holotype of the species, is an adult male and still part of the collection in Berlin.[3] The bird essentially remained known only from this single specimen for more than 100 years, before the species was rediscovered in 1998.[4] There is, however, evidence of two additional specimens: In 1926, the ornithologist Emilia Snethlage, while reporting on her failed attempts to find a bird in the wild, mentioned a mounted pair in the collection of the Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro. These specimens are also included in an 1876 collection catalog but are missing in an 1940 inventory, and therefore must have disappeared by that time.[3]

Cabanis named the new species Nemosia rourei, with the specific name honouring de Roure, as was requested by Euler. The name Nemosia derives from the Greek nemos meaning 'glade' or 'dell'.[5] "Cherry-throated tanager" is the official English common name designated by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOU).[6] The Portuguese name of the bird is "saíra-apunhalada", which can be translated as 'stabbed tanager' and refers to the blood-red throat patch.[4]

Classification

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The tanagers (Thraupidae) are the second-largest family of birds, counting 384 species as of 2020, and restricted to the Americas.[7][8] In his 1870 description, Cabanis noted that the cherry-throated tanager is not obviously related to any other tanager species, but decided to place the new species in the genus Nemosia, which contains only one other species, the hooded tanager (Nemosia pileata).[2] This classification still stands; although the cherry-throated tanager was never included in a genetic analysis, a 2016 study considered its placement within Nemosia to be preliminary but reasonable because of similarities in iris color and plumage with the hooded tanager.[7][4] A 2024 review, however, cautioned that the nest, behavior, and vocalizations of the two Nemosia species differ considerably from each other.[4] The 2016 analysis found Nemosia to be part of the subfamily Nemosiinae, which consists of only five species – the two Nemosia species, the blue-backed tanager (Cyanicterus cyanicterus), the white-capped tanager (Sericossypha albocristata), and the scarlet-throated tanager (Compsothraupis loricata). The relationships of Nemosia with other genera of the Nemosiinae remain unclear.[7]

Description

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The cherry-throated tanager is a distinctive bird with a gray, black, and white plumage with a conspicious bright red patch on the chest and throat.[4] The red patch varies in shape and extent, and a pointed extension typically reaches down to the upper breast.[3][4] The patch may also contain some white feathers.[4] The red patch contrasts with a broad black band that extends from the forehead across the eyes. This black band is nearly meeting at the nape, enclosing the crown (top of the head) almost entirely. The crown is gray and separated from the black band by a white line. The undersides are white, contrasting brilliantly with the red patch.[4][2]

The upper sides are mostly pearl gray, and the rump and the uppertail coverts (feathers at the base of the tail) are of a lighter gray.[4] The uppertail coverts have white spots at their ends that may have a signal function as they are sometimes prominently presented by the birds.[3] The rectrices (primary feathers of the tail) are black with a square-shaped end. The undertail coverts are white and reach down a bit more than half the length of the tail.[4][3] The wings are mostly black, but the tertials (inner flight feathers) have a gray-white area that is broadest towards their tips, creating a striped wing patch.[3][4][2] The inner edge of the outer flight feathers (primaries) is partly white, but this can only be observed when the wing is extended.[4] The upperwing coverts are black with a blueish shine, and the grey scapulars (shoulder feathers) are sometimes dropping over the wing to form a grey shoulder patch. The legs and feet are pink; the claws are marginally darker. The iris is yellow to dark amber, and the beak is black.[4]

Males and females are similar. Juveniles resemble adults but have the throat patch dull brown rather than red, and a darker iris.[4][3] In chicks and fledgings, the gape flange (base of the beak) is pale whitish or yellowish.[4] Measurements have been obtained from only two individuals, the type specimen and a live bird that was banded in 1998.[4] The type specimen is 14 cm (5.5 in) in length, with a wing length of 83 cm (33 in), a tail length of 6 cm (2.4 in), a tarsus (lower "leg") length of 20.3 mm (0.80 in), and a bill length of 1.7 cm (0.67 in). The live bird was 12.5 cm (4.9 in) in length, and its bill was 0.9 cm (0.35 in) in length, 0.5 cm (0.20 in) in width, and 0.55 cm (0.22 in) in depth. Its body weight was 22 g (0.78 oz).[4][3]

The cherry-throated tanager is unlikely to be confused with any other species when observation conditions are good. The red-cowled cardinal has a superficially similar color pattern when seen from a distance but differs in habitat and does not co-occur with the cherry-throated tanager. The only other Nemosia species, the hooded tanager, has no red and also has never been confirmed to co-occur with the cherry-throated. The rufous-headed tanager shares the same habitat but lacks the black head band and has a chestnut rather than bright red throat.[4]

Vocalizations

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Dickcissel male perched on a metal pole singing, with neck stretched and beak open.

Songs and calls
Listen to the cherry-throated tanager on xeno-canto

The cherry-throated tanager has a clear, far-carrying call that has been described as "péuuu" or "peéyr". This note is given singly during foraging, or in a row of two or three in rapid succession. In the latter case, it is typically followed by two shorter and high-pitched notes that have been described as "see'ee" or "pit-pit", and additional "péuuu" calls may be added to the middle or end of the sequence. A call sequence lasts between 0.3 and 1 seconds.[3][4][9] A different vocalization consists of the same notes but is less regular and interspersed with rapid chittering; it is given especially when the birds reply to tape recordings and therefore possibly represents the song.[3][4] Another call is a high but weaker "ti".[4]

Habitat and distribution

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The cherry-throated tanager is a very local endemic of the Atlantic Forest, the second largest rainforest of the Americas.[4][10] The species has been recorded from mountainous regions at elevations between 850 and 1250 m, and prefers Dense Ombrophyllous Montane Forest, a type of Atlantic Forest that is characterized by tall trees with abundant epiphytes and lianas.[11][12] The birds have sometimes been observed in plantations (coffee, eucalyptus, and Pinus), which the birds probably use as corridors to move between patches of prime habitat. There is no indication for altitudinal or other migrations.[4]

The cherry-throated tanager currently occurs at only two localities – the Augusto Ruschi Biological Reserve and the Mata de Caetés, and had been recorded from at least two others (Itarana and Conceição do Castelo) from which it has disappeared. All these localities are in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. There has been some debate about the provenance of the type specimen. In 1999, the Brazilian ornithologist José Fernando Pacheco argued that the holotype might not be from Muriaé, Minas Gerais, as reported by Euler, but from Macaé de Cima ("Macahé" in the late 19th century) near Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro state, where de Roure collected many of his other bird specimens. According to this hypothesis, "Muriahié" might have been a transcription error introduced when the locality information was passed on in hand-written letters. Pacheco further argued that neither altitude nor habitat at Muriaé seem to agree with what is now known about the species' ecology.[13][3] However, a 2024 review considers it likely that the specimen is from the montaneous area north of Muriaé; this area is part of the same mountain complex as the other known localities, whereas Nova Friburgo is from a different mountain range.[4]

Behavior and ecology

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A social species, the cherry-throated tanager is often seen in flocks of two to eight individuals, although single birds are sometimes seen. It has often been observed that one of the flock members sat higher and was noisier than the others, for unclear reasons. The flock members have also been observed feeding each other, but these might have been adults feeding grown juveniles. The territoriy size of the flocks is not precisely known but thought to be large, perhaps exceeding 400 ha (990 acres). If undisturbed, the birds may utilize regular "tracks" to visit feeding sites over the course of the day; these tracks vary according to season. The species, like many tanagers, joins mixed-species feeding flocks. Those in which N. rourei was observed to participate were usually led by sibilant sirystes and contained chestnut-crowned becards and rufous-headed tanagers as "core" species. One study reported that cherry-throated tanagers have been part of a mixed-species flock in 35% of all sightings. Other observations of interactions with other bird species include an individual that had caught a large butterfly and was cheased by a golden-chevroned tanager, and another individual that was apparently being attacked by a black-necked aracari.[11][4]

The species is known to feed on invertebratess including caterpillars, butterflies, and ants.[4] Eucalyptus flowers are visited though it is not clear whether to feed on nectar or on insects.[11] Feeding takes place in the forest canopy on tall trees, preferably on large and horizontal branches with abundant lichen. Here, the birds search for prey with quick hops, craning their necks to pick up food items from the side and undersides of branches, from leaves, and beneath lichen. At times, the species makes short flights to capture insects from the air. The birds do not hang down from branches. Fruits are not consumed even when available in various sizes.[3][4]

Predators and parasites are unknown, but one bird was observed to remove what appeared to be a female ixodid tick from its throat. Longevity data is only available for the single ringed bird, which lived for at least 6 years.[11][4]

Reproduction

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Only a couple of observations provide limited insights into the breeding biology of the species, but, as of 2024, more detailed data has been collected and awaits publication.[4] The breeding season appears to be in austral spring. A possible courship behavior was observed in October, where the presumed male, being watched by the presumed female, was sitting high, tentatively flapping its half-open wings and calling faintly.[11] On November 25, 1998, the first nest was observed, being located in a shallow depression at the base of a horizontal branch, at mid-height of the tree. A group of three birds were found around the nest and called frequently, with one of the birds responding unusually aggressively to playback of recorded calls, immediately flying down towards the sound device. Two of the birds were constructing the nest, repeatedly bringing nest material, mostly fruticose lichen, and incooperating it into the nest by sitting on it and shaping it with movements of their bodies and their bills. The third bird observed was nearby but less active and did not participate in nest building.[14] Possible immature birds with brownish rather than red throat patches have been observed in February.[3]

Status

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Historical sightings

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In 1941, the German-Brazilian ornithologist Helmut Sick observed a group of eight tanagers at Jatibocas in Itarana, Espírito Santo. He was not able to identify the species, but recorded the appearance of the birds in his field book. It was not until his examination of the type specimen in 1976 in Berlin that he realized that he had seen a flock of cherry-throated tanagers.[3][15]: 119 

In 1994, the bird artist Eduardo P. Brettas observed a bird with a red throat patch at a fazenda near Pirapetinga, Minas Gerais. The bird was part of a mixed species feeding flock that also included the hooded tanager. Brettas declared that he first thought that he saw a cardinal-tanager (Paroaria), but identified the bird as a cherry-throated tanager after comparing his field sketch with an illustration published in Sick's 1993 book Birds in Brazil: a natural history during a library visit. In the following two years, three groups of ornithologists visited the fazenda for multiple days in an attempt to confirm Brettas observation, but did not encounter the species. In 2000, Claudia Bauer and colleagues pointed out that the extend of the black face mask as seen in the 1993 book illustration is incorrect, and that Brettas' sketch showed the same mistake, adding to the doubts about the observation's validity.[3]

Another possible sighting was made in October 1995 in the Augusto Ruschi Biological Reserve in Espírito Santo. The British ornithologist Derek A. Scott, while leading a group of birdwatchers, briefly saw a bird with a striking red throat patch in the canopy overhead while observing a mixed-species feeding flock; the bird immediately took off and flew about 50 m (160 ft) to perch on a tree at the roadside, and then flew out of sight shortly after. No other members of the birding group except for the tour director saw the bird, and an observation with the telescope was not possible. In a 1997 publication discussing his observation, Scott noted that the bird he saw clearly matched the cherry-throated tanager, but that the red throat patch was not pointed and extending over the breast as in the holotype specimen, but square-shaped. This mismatch could be explained by variation between individuals, or – if the bird had been a female – by possible differences between the sexes. As an alternative hypothesis, Scott suggested that the bird could have been a hybrid between the hooded tanager and the rufous-headed tanager, in which case the holotype specimen could also represent a hybird rather than a distinct species. According to Scott, this hypothesis may explain how a highly distinctive bird could exist in a nature reserve that is relatively well known and has been frequented by birdwatchers since the 1970s.[16] The idea that the holotype specimen might be a hybrid was already mentioned by the American ornithologist Charles Sibley in 1996, although without further elaboration.[3]

In the final two decades of the 20th century, several authors feared that the species could already be extinct or close to extinction, given the lack of confirmed observations and the extensive deforestation in south-eastern Brazil.[3] For example, Scott and Brooke remarked in 1985 that "there seems little hope that this distinctive, presumably forest, species could still be extant".[3] Some ornithologists even thought that the type specimen is an artifact composed of skins of other species.[3]

Rediscovery

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The species was definitely rediscovered by a group of six ornithologists on February 22, 1998, at the Fazenda Pindobas IV, a privately owned tract of forest in Conceição do Castelo. The group was undertaking the final of seven visits to different forest fragements in southern Espírito Santo, a poorly known part of the Atlantic Forest, to better understand the distribution of resident bird species. The first bird was spotted by the master's student Claudia Bauer, who immediately identified it as a cherry-throated tanager. The group then observed least two more individuals, all part of the same mixed-species foraging flock, for ca. 20 minutes. Two days later, the researchers returned to the site to document their observation; they encountered the same flock, this time containing four cherry-throated tanagers and 18 other bird species. The tanagers were observed for ca. 1.5 hours and attracted with tape recordings of their calls to get better views of their plumage; photographs were also taken.[3][17]

The rediscovery of the species sparkled a number of surveys in search for additional populations, and the newly gained knowledge about the bird's distinctive calls facilitated observations. In 2002, the British ornithologist Guy M. Kirwan heard the bird's calls in the Augusto Ruschi Biological Reserve where Scott had made his possible observation in 1995. The birds were part of a very large mixed-species flock of possibly more than 100 birds, and Kirwan was unable to see one of the cherry-throated tanagers. Early in the next year, Kirwan again heard the calls and spotted one or two individuals. In 2003, the species' presence was confirmed in the Mata de Caetés in Vargem Alta, Espírito Santo by a birdwatching party. The Brazilian ornithologist Pedro Rogerio de Paz, who led the group, heard calls of several birds which he then attracted by playing recorded calls. A total of eight individuals showed up, the largest group of cherry-throated tanagers observed since 1941, when Sick also observed a group of eight. The species was repeatedly observed at Caetés in the following monthes. All confirmed sightings of the cherry-throated tanager have been in the state of Espírito Santo, and the species was not found in suitable habitat outside this state despite several searches.[11]

As of 2024, the cherry-throated tanager is thought to survive at only two localities – the Augusto Ruschi Biological Reserve and Mata de Caetés – and has probably disappeared from at least two areas in which it had been previously recorded. Around Itarana, where Sick observed a flock in 1941, three possible sightings occurred in the late 1990s, but the area has since been mostly deforested and no more observations were made. In Conceição do Castelo, where Bauer rediscovered the species in 1998, the birds were regularly observed in subsequent years but no sightings were reported since 2006, despite several surveys.[4]

Conservation and threats

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This bird has been classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with an estimated population of between 30 and 200 adult birds and a distribution size of just 31 km2 (12 sq mi).[1] From field data, presently only some 14-20 individuals are known, some of them juvenile. The major threat to its survival is deforestation leading to further and further habitat fragmentation and which can reduce habitat to a point where it is too small in extent for a viable population of this species. As with many Atlantic Forest endemics, it seems to have been a rare bird even before the onset of widespread habitat destruction.

Though there is an ongoing effort to provide legal protection for Fazenda Pindobas IV as a Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural (Private Natural Heritage Reserve), and at present, the birds there and in the Mata de Caetés seem safe as logging activity is stalled. Due to its somewhat predictable movements and the readiness with which this attractive species can be enticed into visual range, the cherry-throated tanager may become a significant attraction for ecotourism and/or serve as a flagship species for protection of lesser-known Atlantic Forest endemics. On the other hand, the birds are somewhat sensitive to disturbance: following a motor rally that (illegally) crossed Fazenda Pindobas IV, the birds avoided the area disturbed by the vehicles' crossing for some time.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2018). "Nemosia rourei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22722293A130617765. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22722293A130617765.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Cabanis, Jean (1870). "Ueber eine neue brasilische Nemosie oder Wald-Tangare, Nemosia Rourei nov. spec". Journal für Ornithologie (in German). 18 (6): 459–460. doi:10.1007/BF02259505.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Bauer, Claudia; Pacheco, José Fernando; Venturini, Ana Cristina; Whitney, Bret M. (June 2000). "Rediscovery of the Cherry-throated Tanager Nemosia rourei in southern Espírito Santo, Brazil" (PDF). Bird Conservation International. 10 (2): 97–108. doi:10.1017/S0959270900000095.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Phalan, B. T.; Magnago, G. R.; Hilty, S. (2024). Kirwan, G. M.; Keeney, B. K.; Sly, N. D. (eds.). "Cherry-throated Tanager (Nemosia rourei), version 2.0". Birds of the World Online. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY. doi:10.2173/bow.chttan1.02.
  5. ^ Jobling, J.A. (2010). Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 267. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4. OCLC 1040808348.
  6. ^ Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (July 2021). "IOC World Bird List (v 14.1)". Retrieved August 17, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ a b c Burns, Kevin J.; Shultz, Allison J.; Title, Pascal O.; Mason, Nicholas A.; Barker, F. Keith; Klicka, John; Lanyon, Scott M.; Lovette, Irby J. (2014-06-01). "Phylogenetics and diversification of tanagers (Passeriformes: Thraupidae), the largest radiation of Neotropical songbirds". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 75: 41–77. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.02.006. ISSN 1055-7903. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  8. ^ Winkler, D. W.; Billerman, S. M.; Lovette, I. J. (2020). Billerman, S. M.; Keeney, B. K.; Rodewald, P. G.; Schulenberg, T. S. (eds.). "Tanagers and Allies (Thraupidae), version 1.0". Birds of the World Online. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY. doi:10.2173/bow.thraup2.01.
  9. ^ Ridgely, R.S.; Gwynne, J.A.; Guy, T.; Argel, M. (2016). Wildlife Conservation Society Birds of Brazil: The Atlantic Forest of Southeast Brazil, Including São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro: Volume 2. Ithaca: Comstock Publishing. p. 348. ISBN 978-1-5017-0453-6.
  10. ^ Por, Francis Dov. (1992). Sooretama: The Atlantic Rain Forest of Brazil. The Hague: SPB Academic Pub. p. 7.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Venturini, Ana Cristina; de Paz, Pedro Rogerio; Kirwan, Guy M. (2005). "A new locality and records of Cherry-throated Tanager Nemosia rourei in Espírito Santo, south-east Brazil, with fresh natural history data for the species" (PDF). Cotinga. 24: 20–70.
  12. ^ Viera, Márcio; Caldeira, Marcos Vinicius Winckler; Rovani, Franciele Francisca Marmentini; Castro, Kallil Chaves (2016). "Ecological and Environmental Aspects of Nutrient Cycling in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil". In Blanco, Juan A.; Chang, Shih-Chieh; Lo, Yueh-Hsin (ed.). Tropical Forests – The Challenges of Maintaining Ecosystem Services while Managing the Landscape. p. 116.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
  13. ^ Pacheco, José Fernando (1999). "É de Minas Gerais o exemplar único e original de Nemosia rourei?" (PDF). Atualidades Ornitológicas (in Portuguese). 89 (7).
  14. ^ Venturini, Ana Cristina; de Paz, Pedro Rogerio; Kirwan, Guy M. (2002). "First breeding data for Cherry-throated Tanager Nemosia rourei" (PDF). Cotinga. 17: 42–45.
  15. ^ Sick, Helmut (1979). "Notes on some Brazilian birds". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 99 (4): 115–120.
  16. ^ Scott, Derek A. (1997). "A possible re-sighting of the Cherry-throated Tanager Nemosia rourei in Espírito Santo, Brazil" (PDF). Cotinga. 7: 61–63.
  17. ^ Bauer, Claudia; Pacheco, José Fernando; Venturini, Ana Cristina; de Paz, Pedro Rogerio; Rehen, Mariana Pacheco; do Carmo, Luciano Petronetto (1998). "O primeiro registro documentado do séc. XX da saíra-apunhalada, Nemosia rourei Cabanis, 1870, uma espécie enigmática do sudeste do Brasil". Atualidades Ornitológicas (in Portuguese). 82 (6). Archived from the original on 2015-12-10.
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