Masked Flowerpiercer

The Masked Flowerpiercer is a large member of the Thraupidae family, mostly blue in color with a black mask and red eye. It has an upturned bill with a hook, typical of a flowerpiercer. Both males and females look similar. The Masked Flowerpiercer is an active bird, similar to a warbler or small tanager, and often joins mixed-species flocks, but sometimes forages alone. It can be confused with the Blue-and-black Tanager, but the bill shape and blue wings differentiate it. Its bright blue color combined with the black mask distinguishes it from other flowerpiercers. The species is commonly found above 2,000 m in the Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia, where it feeds on fruit, nectar, and insects.

This species can be observed during our bird photography trips in Manu National Park in Peru and Chocó Andino in Ecuador.

Photo: Alfredo Cornejo