Tangara vassorii
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The blue-and-black tanager (Tangara vassorii) is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in the Andes of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, where it inhabits montane evergreen forest, dwarf forest, and secondary forest at elevations of 1,500–3,500 m (4,900–11,500 ft). It inhabits the highest altitude of any Tangara species, and is the only species from the genus that is found near the tree line. Adults are 13 cm (5.1 in) long and weigh 18 g (0.63 oz) on average, and are mostly blue with black masks, wings, and tails. The species shows slight sexual dimorphism, with females being slightly duller than males.
The blue-and-black tanager feeds on fruit and arthropods, with the most favored fruit being Miconia. It forages in mixed-species flocks in pairs or groups of 3–6 individuals, especially with Iridosornis or Anisognathus. It breeds from February to August, making cup nests out of moss and rootlets. Begging young have been reported in January, while fledglings have been reported in May. The blue-and-black tanager is listed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the IUCN Red List due to its large range, relative commonness, and lack of significant population declines, but is threatened by habitat destruction. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Podocarpus National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-and-black Tanager sighting in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park on a given day, based on 98 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 271st most-seen of the 542 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-and-black Tanager in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to March, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blue-and-black Tanager sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Blue-and-black Tanager sightings, Farallones de Cali National Natural Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Podocarpus National Park (Ecuador, about 30%), Los Nevados National Natural Park (Colombia, about 10%) and Chingaza National Natural Park (Colombia, about 10%).
Same genus: Tangara
The closest relatives of the Blue-and-black Tanager that you can see in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (genus Tangara, Tangara Tanagers) are Golden Tanager (about 70%), Silver-throated Tanager (about 60%) and Bay-headed Tanager (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Blue-and-black Tanager is recorded against all the birds logged in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (98 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
