Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager Cnemathraupis aureodorsalis

The Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager is perhaps the fanciest and most range-restricted member of the genus Buthraupis. It is endemic to high treeline forest on the eastern slope of the Andes in central Peru; the most regular location for this rare tanager is Bosque Unchog in the Department of Huánuco. The plumage of this species is striking, and it is unlikely to be confused with any other tanager. It gets its name from a bright golden-yellow back, but it is also a relatively large tanager, about the size of Hooded Mountain-Tanager (Buthraupis montana), with which it overlaps in distribution. The most prominent colors are black and yellow. Bright golden yellow is distributed on the back, rump, and belly. The throat is black, and the crown and shoulder are purplish-blue. Also unique among the mountain-tanagers, it has rich chestnut streaking on the breast and flanks. This mountain-tanager inhabits elfin treeline forest above 3000 m. It most often is encountered in patches of low trees surrounded by grassy paramo. Usually this species forages in pairs or small groups, and only occasionally joins mixed-species flocks. The most -ommon vocalizations are rather weak, high-pitched notes, but its song is a more complex, mimid-like jumble of squeaks and whistles. The Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager mainly forages on fruits and berries in a very deliberate manner.