Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-necked Tanager
Tangara cyanocephala
Red-necked Tanager (Tangara cyanocephala) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-necked Tanager (Tangara cyanocephala) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 18 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 cyanocephala
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-necked 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 Red-necked Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Red-necked Tanager (Tangara cyanocephala) belongs to the Thraupidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA e, se.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18 g, with a wing length of about 6.2 cm and a tail of around 4.5 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 445,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-necked Tanager?
The Red-necked Tanager is a small bird that weighs around 18 g.
Where does the Red-necked Tanager live?
The Red-necked Tanager is found across South America with a range covering SA e, se, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Red-necked Tanager belong to?
The Red-necked Tanager (Tangara cyanocephala) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Red-necked Tanager eat?
The Red-necked Tanager is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Red-necked Tanager migrate?
The Red-necked Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Red-necked 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 Red-necked Tanager make?
1 real field recording of the Red-necked 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 Red-necked Tanager's range?
The Red-necked Tanager has a mapped global range of about 445,000 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.