Birds Active during the day

Grass-green Tanager

Chlorornis riefferii

iNaturalist eBird Wikipedia

Glowing like an emerald in the misty Andean cloud forests, the Grass-green Tanager is a stunning sight. With its vivid green plumage and striking chestnut face, it is a master of camouflage in the moss-draped canopy.

0 Sightings

0 Habitats

Quick Identification

straighten

Size

Length of 20 cm (7.9 in); weight 48–56 g (1.7–2.0 oz)

palette

Colors

Luminous grass-green body, deep chestnut-maroon face and throat, bright reddish-orange bill and legs

visibility

Key Features

Vibrant grass-green plumage across entire body
Distinctive chestnut-red face mask and throat
Bright reddish-orange bill and legs
Pale blue to whitish vent and lower belly area

When You’ll See Them

schedule

Activity pattern Active during the day

brightness_5

Peak hours 6-10 AM, 3-5 PM

calendar_month

Season Year-round

restaurant

Diet Primarily frugivorous, focusing on small berries and melastome fruits. They also glean insects and spiders from moss and bromeliads.

park

Habitat Humid montane forests, cloud forests, and elfin forests, particularly those with heavy moss and epiphyte growth.

public Geographic range

Where Does the Grass-green Tanager Live?

Where does the Grass-green Tanager live? This stunning bird is a resident of the high-altitude cloud forests of the South American Andes. Its native range forms a narrow corridor stretching from northern Venezuela and Colombia, south through the moist slopes of Ecuador and Peru, and ending in the yungas of western Bolivia. It is a specialist of the temperate zone, rarely descending into the tropical lowlands.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

5 Countries

450K km² Range

Least Concern Conservation

CO Colombia EC Ecuador PE Peru BO Bolivia VE Venezuela

Elevation range

0 m1,000 m2,000 m4,000 m

1,500 m – 3,500 m

eco

iNaturalist / Verified observation data

View on iNaturalist open_in_new

Explore more Birds arrow_forward

Behavior

The Grass-green Tanager is a charismatic and social inhabitant of the Andean cloud forests. Unlike many of its more frantic relatives, this species often moves with a steady, deliberate pace. It is frequently seen in pairs or small family groups, and it is a quintessential member of mixed-species foraging flocks, often acting as a core species that helps lead these diverse groups through the canopy.

These birds are known for their 'creeping' foraging style, where they hop along horizontal, moss-covered branches to inspect epiphytes for hidden treats. While they are primarily forest-dependent, they are remarkably bold and will often allow observers to get quite close, especially when they are focused on a particularly productive fruiting tree. They communicate with high-pitched 'tsip' calls that help keep the flock together in the often-dense mountain mist.

photo_camera EverydayEarth exclusive

Camera Tips

To capture the Grass-green Tanager on camera, you need to think vertically. These birds spend the majority of their time in the mid-to-upper canopy, so mounting your camera on a high balcony or using a tree-climbing mount is essential. Focus your lens on horizontal, moss-laden branches which serve as 'highways' for the species as they forage for insects and berries.

If you are setting up a camera in a backyard that borders a forest, plant native berry-producing shrubs from the Melastomataceae family. These are a natural magnet for the species. For a more direct lure, a platform feeder stocked with halved bananas or papaya can be very effective, though it may take some time for the birds to descend from the safety of the canopy to visit a new feeding station.

Lighting in the cloud forest is notoriously tricky. The Grass-green Tanager’s plumage is so vibrant that it can easily 'blow out' in direct sunlight, while the deep chestnut face can disappear in shadows. Use a camera with a high dynamic range and set your exposure compensation to -0.3 or -0.7 to preserve the detail in the green feathers. Because they move deliberately, you don't need an ultra-fast trigger speed, but a high-resolution setting is recommended to capture the intricate texture of their moss-like plumage.

The best time for filming is immediately after dawn when the forest mist is still present but light levels have risen enough for a clear shot. Position your camera to face away from the rising sun to avoid lens flare. If your camera has a 'time-lapse' mode, setting it to take a photo every 30 seconds near a known fruiting tree can often yield better results than relying on motion sensors, which can be triggered by swaying mossy branches in the mountain wind.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Grass-green Tanager.

Beryl-spangled Tanager

Much smaller with heavy black spotting on the back and a blue-turquoise sheen rather than pure grass-green.

Green-and-gold Tanager

Features yellow-gold tones on the crown and lacks the dark chestnut face mask and red legs.

Browse all Birds arrow_forward

Frequently Asked Questions

Grass-green Tanagers are diurnal and most active in the early morning, from sunrise until about 10:00 AM, with another spike in activity during the late afternoon before dusk.

If you are in a high-altitude Andean region, you can attract them by planting native fruiting shrubs or providing platform feeders with fresh tropical fruits like bananas and papaya.

Their diet is a mix of small fruits, berries, and insects. They are particularly fond of melastome fruits and will spend hours gleaning bugs from mossy tree branches.

They are typically forest specialists, but they will venture into suburban gardens that are located near healthy montane forests or within cloud forest corridors.

Look for the unique combination of a solid grass-green body, a deep chestnut face mask, and bright reddish-orange legs and bill. No other bird in its range shares this specific color palette.

Record Grass-green Tanager at your habitat

Connect a camera to start building your own species record — AI identifies every visitor automatically.

Join free Identify a photo