Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus. Birds Loja Ecuador. Urban Birds of the Park, Gardens, and Sourrounding areas of the city of Loja – Ecuador. 44 bird species . Illustrated by Pablo Andrade. Work supported by Jan Hinloopen.

Distribution

Blue-gray Tanager, Thraupis episcopus. Mostly below 1500 m, locally higher. A widespread , familiar, and (specially in west) often common tanager in lowlands and foothills. Most numerous in settled areas, clearing and gardens ( even ocurring in the middle of towns and cities), also ranging in borders and even canopy of forest and woodland.

In the sourroundings of the city of Loja is a common bird, found also less numerous in park and gardens.

Description

16,5 cm. Sexes alike. Mostly pale grayish blue, darkest on back; flight feathers broadly edged brightt. Wing-coverts vary: west of Andes bright blue, in east mostly. In Marañón drainage most birds show white on wing coverts, but some do not. Blue Gray Tanager, Thraupis episcopus

Habits

Well known and conspicuos, blue – gray Tanagers will quickly become familiar though actually they are not all that common in primarily forested.

Voice
Song an often – heard jumble of fast, squeaky notes; calls are of similar quality and include a rising “suweee”

Information taken from the book Birds Of Ecuador of Robert Ridgely and Paul Greenfield