Photo: Doug Janson / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spotted Tanager
Ixothraupis punctata
Spotted Tanager (Ixothraupis punctata) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Spotted Tanager (Ixothraupis punctata) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 15 g.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Thraupidae Tanagers & Allies
- Genus Ixothraupis
- Species punctata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 15 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spotted 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 Spotted Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spotted Tanager (Ixothraupis punctata) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 15 g, with a wing length of about 6.2 cm and a tail of around 4.6 cm.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spotted Tanager?
The Spotted Tanager is a very small bird that weighs around 15 g.
Where does the Spotted Tanager live?
The Spotted Tanager is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Spotted Tanager belong to?
The Spotted Tanager (Ixothraupis punctata) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Spotted Tanager eat?
The Spotted Tanager is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Spotted Tanager migrate?
The Spotted Tanager is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
What sound does the Spotted Tanager make?
1 real field recording of the Spotted Tanager — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
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.