Photo: Joseph Smit / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-shouldered Tanager
Tachyphonus phoenicius
Red-shouldered Tanager (Tachyphonus phoenicius) — 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 Red-shouldered Tanager (Tachyphonus phoenicius) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 21 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 Tachyphonus
- Species phoenicius
Quick facts
- Weight
- 21 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-shouldered Tanager is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Red-shouldered Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Red-shouldered Tanager (Tachyphonus phoenicius) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 21 g, with a wing length of about 7.2 cm and a tail of around 6.5 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 2.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-shouldered Tanager?
The Red-shouldered Tanager is a small bird that weighs around 21 g.
Where does the Red-shouldered Tanager live?
The Red-shouldered Tanager is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Red-shouldered Tanager belong to?
The Red-shouldered Tanager (Tachyphonus phoenicius) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Red-shouldered Tanager eat?
The Red-shouldered Tanager is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Red-shouldered Tanager migrate?
The Red-shouldered Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Red-shouldered 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-shouldered Tanager make?
1 real field recording of the Red-shouldered Tanager can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-shouldered Tanager's range?
The Red-shouldered Tanager has a mapped global range of about 2.2 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
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.