Photo: Dario Sanches from São Paulo, Brazil / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue Dacnis
Dacnis cayana
Blue Dacnis (Dacnis cayana) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 16 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue Dacnis (Dacnis cayana) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 13 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 Dacnis
- Species cayana
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13 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 Blue Dacnis is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Blue Dacnis is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Blue Dacnis (Dacnis cayana) belongs to the Thraupidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Honduras to ne Argentina.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13 g, with a wing length of about 6.2 cm and a tail of around 4.4 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 12.1 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue Dacnis?
The Blue Dacnis is a very small bird that weighs around 13 g.
Where does the Blue Dacnis live?
The Blue Dacnis is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Honduras to ne Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Blue Dacnis belong to?
The Blue Dacnis (Dacnis cayana) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Blue Dacnis eat?
The Blue Dacnis is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Blue Dacnis migrate?
The Blue Dacnis is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Blue Dacnis 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 Dacnis make?
1 real field recording of the Blue Dacnis — 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 Dacnis's range?
The Blue Dacnis has a mapped global range of about 12.1 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.