Ramphocelus

Taxobox
name = "Ramphocelus"

---

image_width = 250px
image_caption = Adult Crimson-collared Tanager
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Thraupidae
genus = "Ramphocelus"
genus_authority = Desmarest, 1805
subdivision_ranks = species
subdivision = "see species list"

"Ramphocelus" is a genus of birds of the tanager family. Most species have enlarged shiny whitish lower mandibles, which are pointed upwards in display.

"Ramphocelus" tanagers are found in semi-open areas. The nest is a cup built by the female of plant materials such as moss, rootlets, and strips of large leaves like banana or "Heliconia", and is often in a fairly open site in a tree. The female usually lays pale blue eggs, with grey, brown or lavender spots, and the young stay in the nest for only about 12 days.

The songs of this genus are repetitions of rich one- or two-syllable whistles

"Ramphocelus" tanagers hunt at forest edges or in second growth, taking insects in flight or picking them from leaves

Taxonomy

The Crimson-collared Tanager is sometimes placed in a genus of its own as "Phlogothraupis sanguinolenta" (Howell and Webb 1995), and a genetic study suggests that it is less closely related to the other "Ramphocelus" tanagers than they are to each other (Hackett 1996). Its closest relative is Masked Crimson Tanager.

The other species form two superspecies. One includes Crimson-backed, Huallaga, Silver-beaked and Brazilian Tanagers, and the other comprises Passerini's, Cherrie's and Flame-rumped Tanagers.

The northern form of Flame-rumped Tanager is sometimes split as Lemon-rumped Tanager, "Ramphocelus icteronotus", and Passerini's and Cherrie's Tanager were formerly lumped as Scarlet-rumped Tanager, "Ramphocelus passerinii".

pecies in taxonomic order

* Crimson-collared Tanager, "Ramphocelus sanguinolentus"
* Masked Crimson Tanager, "Ramphocelus nigrogularis"
* Crimson-backed Tanager, "Ramphocelus dimidiatus"
* Huallaga Tanager, "Ramphocelus melanogaster"
* Silver-beaked Tanager, "Ramphocelus carbo"
* Brazilian Tanager, "Ramphocelus bresilius"
* Passerini's Tanager, "Ramphocelus passerinii"
* Cherrie's Tanager, "Ramphocelus costaricensis"
* Flame-rumped Tanager, "Ramphocelus flammigerus"

References

*cite book
last = ffrench
first = Richard
title = A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago
edition = 2nd edition
year = 1991
publisher = Comstock Publishing
isbn = 0-8014-9792-2
* Hilty, " Birds of Venezuela", ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
* Morton, Isler & Isler, "Tanagers" ISBN 0-7136-5116-4
* Stiles and Skutch, "A guide to the birds of Costa Rica" ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
*
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