NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Moss-backed Tanager
Bangsia edwardsi (D. G. Elliot, 1865)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The moss-backed tanager (Bangsia edwardsi) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. It is a chunky, large-headed tanager with moss-green upperparts, dark blue-tinged dark green wings, olive green underparts, a bright golden yellow patch on the chest, and black head with shining blue sides. It is endemic to the Western Andes of western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador, where it inhabits dense, humid Pacific slope forests. It feeds on insects and fruit. It is classified as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its sufficiently large range and population.
Wikipedia contributors, Moss-backed tanager; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:38:14.560763+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Bangsia edwardsi (D. G. Elliot, 1865)
- Name authority
- (D. G. Elliot, 1865)
- Common name
- Moss-backed Tanager
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Bangsia
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyThraupidae
- genusBangsia T. E. Penard, 1919
- speciesBangsia edwardsi (D. G. Elliot, 1865)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Bangsia. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Golden-chested TanagerBangsia rothschildi (Berlepsch, 1897) | ThraupidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Buthraupis edwardsi D. G. Elliot, 1865 D. G. Elliot, 1865 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=558848 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:KKD7. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.