Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue-backed Tanager
Cyanicterus cyanicterus
Blue-backed Tanager (Cyanicterus cyanicterus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue-backed Tanager (Cyanicterus cyanicterus) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 34 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 Cyanicterus
- Species cyanicterus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 34 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Blue-backed Tanager is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Blue-backed Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Blue-backed Tanager (Cyanicterus cyanicterus) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA n Amazonia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 34 g, with a wing length of about 9.4 cm and a tail of around 6.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 423,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue-backed Tanager?
The Blue-backed Tanager is a small bird that weighs around 34 g.
Where does the Blue-backed Tanager live?
The Blue-backed Tanager is found across South America with a range covering SA n Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Blue-backed Tanager belong to?
The Blue-backed Tanager (Cyanicterus cyanicterus) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Blue-backed Tanager eat?
The Blue-backed Tanager is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Blue-backed Tanager migrate?
The Blue-backed Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Blue-backed 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 Blue-backed Tanager make?
1 real field recording of the Blue-backed 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 Blue-backed Tanager's range?
The Blue-backed Tanager has a mapped global range of about 423,000 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.