Gray-headed Tanager Eucometis penicillata

The Gray-headed Tanager (Eucometis penicillata) is the only member of the genus Eucometis. It is a lowland tanager consisting of seven subspecies that are found primarily in forested habitats from southern Mexico to northern Paraguay. Its plumage is a yellowish olive over much of its body, with a conspicuous gray head and crest. These tanagers have somewhat conical bills with a large, rounded notch on the upper mandible. They have adapted to several different ways of life and habitats; their diet includes fruit and insects, and they are known to follow army ant swarms to feed on insects escaping from the ants, particularly north and west of the Andes. The Gray-headed Tanager is capable of living at least ten years (Willis 1985), usually travels in pairs and spends most of its time in the dense forest understory. It often occurs in mixed-species flocks, particularly east of the Andes. The conservation status of the Gray-headed Tanager is assessed by the IUCN as  of Least Concern; however, there is little information on the populations and demography of the species.