05-01-20 © Nahuel Cuba

The Fawn-breasted Tanager’s distribution is restricted to South America. Till now there are two subspecies. Pipraeidea melanonota venezuelensis runs down the Andes from Venezuela to the yungas in Argentina. On the Atlantic side Pipraeidea melanonota melanonota covers a great area in the south of Brazil, east of Paraguay and mainly Misiones in Argentina. Farther south it is found in Uruguay and northeast and south of Buenos Aires. That is, the two subspecies are present in Argentina.

At the reserve its visiting pattern is characterized by the absence of registers during the so called summer/breeding time. The records are found during the winter arriving early on some occasions and leaving late on some others. That is why, it is included within winter visitors.

Nevertheless, last year (2019) there were records of this tanager during all the summer. And this photograph of a juvenile would account for breeding behaviour here. Nahuel captured two individuals moving together, an adult with its light blue crown and shoulders and a dull-coloured  juvenile, still with oral flanges.

Time will tell if this remains an isolated event or if we are facing a change of behaviour of this species. This bird inhabits forest edges and grasslands with trees and deforestation and other factors might be pushing it to settle in other destinations.