Blue-grey Tanager
Thraupis episcopus
The Blue-grey Tanager (Thraupis episcopus) is a common tanager found in 19 countries, weighing about 35 g. The blue-gray tanager is a medium-sized South American songbird of the tanager family, Thraupidae.
About the Blue-grey Tanager
The blue-gray tanager is a medium-sized South American songbird of the tanager family, Thraupidae. Its range is from Mexico south to northeast Bolivia and northern Brazil, all of the Amazon Basin, except the very south. It has been introduced to Lima (Peru) and Florida. On Trinidad and Tobago, this bird is called blue jean.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The blue-gray tanager is 16–18 cm (6.3–7.1 in) long and weighs 30–40 g (1.1–1.4 oz). Adults have a light bluish head and underparts, with darker blue upperparts and a shoulder patch colored a different shade of blue. The bill is short and quite thick. Sexes are similar, but the immature is much duller in plumage. The song is a squeaky twittering, interspersed with tseee and tsuup call notes.
What the Blue-grey Tanager sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States.
When to see it
The Blue-grey Tanager can be seen all year round, with peak activity in March. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Watch the Blue-grey Tanager on live cams
- Panama Fruit Feeder CamEl Valle de Antón, Panama · Streaming now
- BirdSouls Colombia Feeder CamColombia · Streaming now
Browse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Blue-grey Tanager?
- The blue-gray tanager is 16–18 cm (6.3–7.1 in) long and weighs 30–40 g (1.1–1.4 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Blue-grey Tanager?
- The Blue-grey Tanager is a small sized bird weighing about 35 g.
- Where can you see a Blue-grey Tanager?
- The Blue-grey Tanager occurs in 19 countries, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador and Venezuela.
- What does a Blue-grey Tanager sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Blue-grey Tanager on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Blue-grey Tanager?
- The Blue-grey Tanager is most easily confused with the Palm Tanager, the Sayaca Tanager and the Yellow-winged Tanager.
- Is the Blue-grey Tanager endangered?
- The Blue-grey Tanager is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Blue-grey Tanager for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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