Photo: Cephas / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spangle-cheeked Tanager
Tangara dowii
Spangle-cheeked Tanager (Tangara dowii) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Spangle-cheeked Tanager (Tangara dowii) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 15 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 dowii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 15 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spangle-cheeked Tanager is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Spangle-cheeked Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spangle-cheeked Tanager (Tangara dowii) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA Costa Rica and Panama.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 15 g, with a wing length of about 7.2 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 12,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spangle-cheeked Tanager?
The Spangle-cheeked Tanager is a very small bird that weighs around 15 g.
Where does the Spangle-cheeked Tanager live?
The Spangle-cheeked Tanager is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA Costa Rica and Panama, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Spangle-cheeked Tanager belong to?
The Spangle-cheeked Tanager (Tangara dowii) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Spangle-cheeked Tanager eat?
The Spangle-cheeked Tanager is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Spangle-cheeked Tanager migrate?
The Spangle-cheeked Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spangle-cheeked 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 Spangle-cheeked Tanager make?
1 real field recording of the Spangle-cheeked 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 Spangle-cheeked Tanager's range?
The Spangle-cheeked Tanager has a mapped global range of about 12,000 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
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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.