Thraupis episcopus
The Blue-grey Tanager (Thraupis episcopus) is a common and widespread Neotropical songbird celebrated for its subtle yet striking plumage. Averaging 16-18 cm (6.3-7.1 in) in length and weighing 30-45 grams (1.1-1.6 oz), this medium-sized tanager is characterized by its soft, powdery blue-grey coloration, which often appears paler on the underparts. A key identification feature is the brighter, often pale sky-blue to white shoulder patch (less prominent in some subspecies), contrasting with da...
This adaptable species thrives in a variety of open to semi-open habitats, including forest edges, clearings, secondary growth, plantations, parks, and urban gardens, typically from sea level up to around 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) in elevation.
Primarily frugivorous, consuming a wide variety of fruits and berries, supplemented by a significant intake of insects (especially during breeding) and nectar; they forage by gleaning from foliage and hawking flying insects.
Blue-grey Tanagers are diurnal and often observed in pairs or small family groups, occasionally joining mixed-species foraging flocks. They are agile foragers, primarily gleaning insects and fruit from foliage and branches, but also readily hawk flying insects from perches. While not fiercely ter...
The Blue-grey Tanager boasts an expansive resident range spanning much of the Neotropics, from southeastern Mexico south through Central America, and across northern and central South America. Its distribution extends from southern Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and Chiapas, through Belize, Guatemala...
Least Concern
- The Blue-grey Tanager is known for its remarkable adaptability, often thriving in urban environments and suburban gardens alongside humans. - Despite its name, the species can exhibit a range of blue hues, from a pale, powdery blue to a deeper, more purplish-blue depending on light and subspeci...