Appearance
Measuring around 18 cm in length, the adult male has a silver sheen on its lower mandible. Its whole head and chest are a maroon red, brightening to a bright red on its lower back and abdomen. Its wings and tail are black. The female is duller with blackish underparts.
Naming
The crimson-backed tanager was first described by French naturalist Frédéric de Lafresnaye in 1837. It is one of nine species of brightly coloured tanagers of the genus "Ramphocelus". Mitochondrial DNA evidence indicates its closest relative is the masked crimson tanager, and the two split around 800,000 years ago.
Distribution
It is found in northern and western Colombia, the Maracaibo Basin in Venezuela, and over most of Panama, where it extends to Chiriquí and Veraguas Provinces in the west of the country, as well as Coiba, where it is abundant, and Pearl Islands. It inhabits forest, scrub and gardens.References:
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