Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Bay-headed Tanager
Tangara gyrola
Bay-headed Tanager (Tangara gyrola) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Bay-headed Tanager (Tangara gyrola) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 21 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Thraupidae Tanagers & Allies
- Genus Tangara
- Species gyrola
Where it lives
Nicaragua through northern, western Amazonia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 21 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Bay-headed Tanager is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Bay-headed Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Bay-headed Tanager (Tangara gyrola) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Nicaragua through n, w Amazonia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 21 g, with a wing length of about 7.4 cm and a tail of around 5.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 4.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Bay-headed Tanager?
The Bay-headed Tanager is a small bird that weighs around 21 g.
Where does the Bay-headed Tanager live?
The Bay-headed Tanager is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Nicaragua through n, w Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Bay-headed Tanager belong to?
The Bay-headed Tanager (Tangara gyrola) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Bay-headed Tanager eat?
The Bay-headed Tanager is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Bay-headed Tanager migrate?
The Bay-headed Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Bay-headed Tanager endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Bay-headed Tanager make?
1 real field recording of the Bay-headed Tanager — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Bay-headed Tanager's range?
The Bay-headed Tanager has a mapped global range of about 4.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Thraupidae
A field guide to the Thraupidae family — 394 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.