| Blue dacnis | |
|---|---|
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| Adult male | |
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| Adult female in São Paulo, Brazil | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Thraupidae |
| Genus: | Dacnis |
| Species: | D. cayana |
| Binomial name | |
| Dacnis cayana (Linnaeus, 1766) | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Theblue dacnis orturquoise honeycreeper (Dacnis cayana) is a smallpasserinebird. This member of thetanager family is found fromNicaragua toPanama, onTrinidad, and inSouth America south toBolivia and northernArgentina. It is widespread and often common, especially in parts of itsSouth American range.
In 1760, the French zoologistMathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the blue dacnis in hisOrnithologie based on a specimen collected inCayenne inFrench Guiana. He used the French nameLe Pepit bleu de Cayenne and the Latin nameSylvia cayanensis caerulea.[2] Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to thebinomial system and are not recognised by theInternational Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.[3] When in 1766 the Swedish naturalistCarl Linnaeus updated hisSystema Naturae for thetwelfth edition he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson.[3] One of these was the blue dacnis. Linnaeus included a terse description, coined thebinomial nameMotacilla cayana and cited Brisson's work.[4] Thespecific namecayana is from Cayenne.[5] This species is now placed in thegenusDacnis that was introduced in 1816 by the French naturalistGeorges Cuvier with the blue dacnis as thetype species.[6][7]
Eightsubspecies are recognised:[7]
Thepurplish honeycreeper (Chlorophanes purpurascens), abird from Venezuela known only from thetype specimen, is considered to be anintergeneric hybrid between thegreen honeycreeper and either thered-legged honeycreeper or the blue dacnis.[8]
The blue dacnis is 12.7 cm long and weighs 13 g. Despite its alternative name, it is not ahoneycreeper, which are longer-billed. The adult male is turquoise blue with a black around the eyes, and on the throat and back. The wings and tail are black, edged with turquoise. The female and immature are mainly green with a blue head, paler green underparts and green-edged brown wings. The blue dacnis's call is a thintsip.
The blue dacnis occurs in forests and other woodlands, including gardens and parks.
The bulky cup nest is built in a tree and the normal clutch is of two to three grey-blotched whitish eggs. The female incubates the eggs, but is fed by the male.[9]
These are social birds which eat mainlyinsects gleaned from foliage, flowers orbromeliads. Fruit (such aslicorice,Cecropia,Clusia,Miconia,berries,figs andbananas)[10] is often taken and usually swallowed whole, butnectar is rarely consumed.
