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BREEDS
& THEIR NEEDS
The Paradise Tanager
(Tangara chilenis)
- The Paradise Tanager is a beautiful 6" tanager which inhabits Columbia to Brazil
and Bolivia. They tend to live quietly at moderate heights and do little
to call attention to themselves.
- Both sexes are dimorphic (alike in general
appearance). So they must be sexed by their behaviour.
DESCRIPTION
- Black neck, shoulders, back and
tail, accented by brilliant sky blue on breast, belly (with black in centre)
and wing coverts; yellowish-green head; purple-edged wings; and red or
yellow-red rump. Eyes brown, beak and legs black.
- The Paradise
Tanager, though brilliantly coloured, is said to have little or no song.
DIET
- A good diet includes soaked, dried
currants and raisins, grapes, cut pear and apple, dates, figs, bananas,
and halved oranges.
In addition, insects (mealworms, fruit flies, wax worms,
maggots and crickets) are appreciated.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
- South America, east of the Andes and
south to Bolivia and southern Brazil.
HABITAT
- Forests and woodland, up to about
4,921 feet (1,500m) elevation.
SPECIAL NEEDS
- Cover bottom of cage/Aviary with absorbent
materials i.e. paper towels or layers of newspaper to soak up watery dropping caused by
their sweet, juicy diet. Clean daily to avoid spread of disease and rancid
smells.
- Using Easibed
woodchip
bedding/floor covering is ideal for these birds in an Aviary.
HOUSING
- A well-planted aviary with
bathing facilities. Breeding results sporadic in captivity.
- Prefers to breed as high as
possible, in variety of nest boxes containing coconut fibres, dead and
live grass, leaves, moss, pieces of bark, wool and other materials.
- Likes to hide in corners on ground, may
build nest free in thick shrub.
- Lays 2 to 3 eggs
- Incubation
: 13 to 14
days
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