Photo: Adam Jackson / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey-headed Tanager
Eucometis penicillata
Grey-headed Tanager (Eucometis penicillata) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Grey-headed Tanager (Eucometis penicillata) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 27 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 Eucometis
- Species penicillata
Where it lives
Southeastern Mexico to south-central Brazil and northern Paraguay
Quick facts
- Weight
- 27 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey-headed 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 Grey-headed Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Grey-headed Tanager (Eucometis penicillata) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA se Mexico to sc Brazil and n Paraguay.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 27 g, with a wing length of about 8.9 cm and a tail of around 7.7 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 5.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey-headed Tanager?
The Grey-headed Tanager is a small bird that weighs around 27 g.
Where does the Grey-headed Tanager live?
The Grey-headed Tanager is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA se Mexico to sc Brazil and n Paraguay, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Grey-headed Tanager belong to?
The Grey-headed Tanager (Eucometis penicillata) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Grey-headed Tanager eat?
The Grey-headed Tanager is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Grey-headed Tanager migrate?
The Grey-headed Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Grey-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 Grey-headed Tanager make?
1 real field recording of the Grey-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 Grey-headed Tanager's range?
The Grey-headed Tanager has a mapped global range of about 5.7 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
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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.