With his satin-red throat and iridescent steely-bluish wings, this bird is unmistakable. They are best known for their eponymous white cap, which gleams like sunny snow.
The white-capped tanager (Sericossypha albocristata) belongs to the tanager Thraupidae family of South American birds. They are mainly bluish-black with a snow-white head and average 24 cm in length and 114 g in weight. Scarlet red runs through the throat and upper breast.
The upper breast and throat of females exhibit a more rich crimson red.
Juveniles are a dull black color with a white cap and no red on their heads.
At heights of 1600–3200 meters, these tanagers can be found in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru.
They tend to reside in family groups of up to 20 birds in humid montane forests.
The White-capped Parrot Tanagers eat fruits and seeds from hymenoptera and coleoptera plants.
The White-capped Tanager’s breeding habits is unknown, however cooperative breeding is suspected. When heightened by adaptive postures, the white head, red throat, and breast presumably play a role in courtship displays. The cup-shaped nest is made of tree fern and is completely hidden by the fronds.
