Photo: Eric Gropp from USA / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Moss-backed Tanager
Bangsia edwardsi
Moss-backed Tanager (Bangsia edwardsi) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Moss-backed Tanager (Bangsia edwardsi) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 37 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 Bangsia
- Species edwardsi
Quick facts
- Weight
- 37 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 Moss-backed 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 Moss-backed Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Moss-backed Tanager (Bangsia edwardsi) belongs to the Thraupidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Colombia and Ecuador.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 37 g, with a wing length of about 9 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 19,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Moss-backed Tanager?
The Moss-backed Tanager is a small bird that weighs around 37 g.
Where does the Moss-backed Tanager live?
The Moss-backed Tanager is found across South America with a range covering SA Colombia and Ecuador, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Moss-backed Tanager belong to?
The Moss-backed Tanager (Bangsia edwardsi) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Moss-backed Tanager eat?
The Moss-backed Tanager is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Moss-backed Tanager migrate?
The Moss-backed Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Moss-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 Moss-backed Tanager make?
1 real field recording of the Moss-backed Tanager — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Moss-backed Tanager's range?
The Moss-backed Tanager has a mapped global range of about 19,000 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.