Beryl-spangled Tanager (Tangara nigroviridis) [XC12359]
by Oswaldo Cortes from Ricaurte, RN La Planada, Narino, Colombia (call)
Beryl-spangled Tanager (Tangara nigroviridis) [XC276546]
by Jerome Fischer from Carchi: Chilma, Ecuador (song)
Subspecies
Molecular-genetic data indicate that this species, Spangle-cheeked Tanager (Tangara dowii), Green-naped Tanager (Tangara fucosa) and Blue-and-black Tanager (Tangara vassorii) form a species group, with last-mentioned basal to the other three. Subspecies rather weakly differentiated; lozanoana, in particular, seems barely distinguishable from cyanescens and should perhaps be synonymized with latter.
Proposed subspecies consobrina (described from San Pablo, Túquerres, in south-western Colombia) is synonymized with cyanescens.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
cyanescens (Sclater, PL, 1857) - Northern and western Colombia (western and central Andes, and western slope of eastern Andes southern from Norte de Santander) and western and south-western Ecuador (western slope south to Pichincha. Also El Oro and western Loja). Also northern Venezuela (Sierra de Aroa, in Yaracuy, and coastal cordillera from Carabobo east to Miranda).
lozanoana Aveledo & Perez, 1994 - Sierra de Perijá (Colombia-Venezuela border) and Andes of north-western Venezuela (southern Lara south to Táchira).
nigroviridis (Lafresnaye, 1843) - Eastern slope of eastern Andes of Colombia (from Casanare and Boyacá south to Nariño) and entire eastern slope in Ecuador.
berlepschi (Taczanowski, 1884) - Tobago. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Blue-grey Tanager (Tangara episcopus).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet