Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Crimson-backed Tanager
Ramphocelus dimidiatus
Crimson-backed Tanager (Ramphocelus dimidiatus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Crimson-backed Tanager (Ramphocelus dimidiatus) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 28 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 Ramphocelus
- Species dimidiatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 28 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Extinct
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Crimson-backed Tanager is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Crimson-backed Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Crimson-backed Tanager (Ramphocelus dimidiatus) belongs to the Thraupidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Panama to Colombia and Venezuela.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 28 g, with a wing length of about 7.6 cm and a tail of around 7.1 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 475,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Crimson-backed Tanager?
The Crimson-backed Tanager is a small bird that weighs around 28 g.
Where does the Crimson-backed Tanager live?
The Crimson-backed Tanager is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Panama to Colombia and Venezuela, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Crimson-backed Tanager belong to?
The Crimson-backed Tanager (Ramphocelus dimidiatus) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Crimson-backed Tanager eat?
The Crimson-backed Tanager is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Crimson-backed Tanager migrate?
The Crimson-backed Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Crimson-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 Crimson-backed Tanager make?
1 real field recording of the Crimson-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 Crimson-backed Tanager's range?
The Crimson-backed Tanager has a mapped global range of about 475,000 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.