Photo: Félix Uribe from Colombia / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Golden Tanager
Tangara arthus
Golden Tanager (Tangara arthus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Golden Tanager (Tangara arthus) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 22 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 arthus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 22 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 Golden 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 Golden Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Golden Tanager (Tangara arthus) belongs to the Thraupidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA Venezuela to Bolivia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 22 g, with a wing length of about 7.6 cm and a tail of around 5.4 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 39,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Golden Tanager?
The Golden Tanager is a small bird that weighs around 22 g.
Where does the Golden Tanager live?
The Golden Tanager is found across South America with a range covering SA Venezuela to Bolivia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Golden Tanager belong to?
The Golden Tanager (Tangara arthus) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Golden Tanager eat?
The Golden Tanager is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Golden Tanager migrate?
The Golden Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Golden 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 Golden Tanager make?
1 real field recording of the Golden 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 Golden Tanager's range?
The Golden Tanager has a mapped global range of about 39,000 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.