Cherry-throated tanager  (Nemosia rourei)

Classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List (1)

Previously feared extinct, the elusive cherry-throated tanager was dramatically rediscovered in 1998 (3). A boldly coloured, attractive bird, white underparts and a black forehead, facial mask and bill contrast starkly with the conspicuous cherry-red throat (2) (3). A silver-white crown fades into grey on the upperparts, becoming black on the wings and tail. The legs are pink and the irises are orange (2). The sexes are similar, but juveniles are thought to have a brownish or yellow-brown tinge to the normally vibrantly coloured throat (4).

Historically, the cherry-throated tanager was known from the Itarana municipality in Espírito Santo State and from Muriaé in Minas Gerais State, southeast Brazil (2). However, after a lapse of 47 years since the last sighting, this rare species was rediscovered in the mountains of Conceicao de Castelo municipality in Espírito Santo State in 1998, and later in Vargem Alta municipality in 2003 (3) (4).

The cherry-throated tanager inhabits humid, montane rainforest between 850 and 1,250 metres above sea level (2).

On the few occasions that the cherry-throated tanager has been observed in the wild it was seen to forage amongst the crown of tall trees, preferring moss and lichen covered branches, for a variety of arthropods (2). It is typically found in small groups of up to ten, but when not breeding, the cherry-throated tanager will also forage in mixed-species flocks, a common trait amongst tanager species. The cherry-throated tanager starts to nest in late November, the timing of which coincides with a peak in food abundance and the change between dry and wet seasons (2) (5). Tanagers are typically monogamous and a cup-shaped nest is built in a tree. The female will subsequently incubate the clutch of two or three eggs, although the male may help to feed the young (5). 

Human settlers began clearing Brazil’s Atlantic forests in the 16^thcentury when European explorers established along the coastline. Forests were initially cut down for timber and later to make room for the rapidly expanding cattle ranches and sugar plantations. The rate of deforestation increased dramatically in the 19^thand 20^thcenturies due to rapid population and economic growth, and an increased demand for charcoal and firewood. The legacy of such a destructive history is that, tragically, today less than 10 percent of the Atlantic forest remains. Consequently, many of the species within this region are seriously threatened with extinction (6) (7). One such species, the cherry-throated tanager, now has a critically small population, probably no more than 250 individuals, and a very patchy distribution (2). The future of this rare species is threatened by further loss to what little habitat remains, through urban and agricultural encroachment and timber extraction (4) (8).

The survival of the Critically Endangered cherry-throated tanager is perilously bound to the future management of two privately owned forests, in which the last remaining populations are found (2) (3) (4). Thankfully, however, since 2004, SAVE Brasil has been working with the government and local organisations and communities to ensure the conservation of the forests on which the cherry-throated tanager depends to survive. As a result of these efforts, in June 2010 the government of the state of Espírito Santo created ten Ecological Corridors, including the Cherry-throated Tanager Corridor, which are recognised as crucial areas for the state’s biodiversity. These areas are to be prioritised for future conservation work with plans to reconnect remnant forest patches through afforestation and restoration work, and the promotion of sustainable activities and soil management (9).

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

For additional information on the cherry-throated tanager, see:

• BirdLife International:
  http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=9259&m=0
• Bauer, C., Pacheco, J.F., Venturini, A.C. and Whitney, B.M. (2000) Rediscovery of the cherry-throated tanager Nemosia rourei in southern Espírito Santo, Brazil. Birdlife International, 10: 97-108.
• Venturini, A.C., de Paz, P.R. and Kirwan, G.M (2005) A new locality and records of cherry-throated tanager Nemosia rourei in Espírito Santo, south-east Brazil, with fresh natural history data for the species. Cotinga, 24: 60-70.

For information on the conservation of the Atlantic forest, see:

• SAVE Brasil:
  http://www.savebrasil.org.br/
• WWF:
  http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/atlantic_forests.cfm
• Conservation International:
  http://www.conservation.org/explore/priority_areas/hotspots/south_america/Atlantic-Forest/Pages/impacts.aspx