Golden Tanager

Golden Tanager

Tangara arthus

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
at Farallones de Cali National Natural Park

In 3 days >90%

2,927 Verified sightings at Farallones de Cali National Natural Park From 2019 to 2026
4,045 In all 5 parks
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Golden Tanager

The golden tanager (Tangara arthus) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is widespread and often common in highland forests of the Andes (from Bolivia and northwards) and Venezuelan Coastal Range in north-western South America.

Its plumage is overall golden-yellow with black to the back, wings, tail and ear-coverts. Some subspecies are partially/largely brown below. The golden tanager was first described as Tangara Arthus by René Lesson in 1840 on the basis of a specimen from Caracas, Venezuela. The generic name Tangara comes from the Tupí word tangara, meaning dancer. The specific name arthus is in honor of Arthus Bertrand, a French bookseller. Golden tanager is the official common name designated by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC). Other names for the species include "chestnut-breasted tanager".

The golden tanager is one of 27 species in the genus Tangara. Within the genus, it is part of a species group with the blue-whiskered tanager, green-and-gold tanager, emerald tanager, silver-throated tanager, saffron-crowned tanager, golden-eared tanager, and flame-faced tanager. In the group, it is sister to a clade formed by the... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:28

Ecuador · 2024

© Manuel Sanchez-Nivicela · XC946828 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Alarm call0:12

Ecuador · 1995

© Mitch Lysinger · XC261172 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Flight call0:04

Ecuador · 2013

© Martin St-Michel · XC165861 · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~70%
2 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~30%
3 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~20%
4 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
5 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cali 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
2 Medellín 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Eindhoven Zoo 🇳🇱 Netherlands In captivity
2 Dallas World Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Golden Tanager in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park?

Very likely

About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Tanager sighting in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park on a given day, based on 2,927 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 542 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Golden Tanager in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park?

April and December

In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Tanager in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park on a given day, against about 50% in June and July, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Golden Tanager?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Golden Tanager sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Farallones de Cali National Natural Park the best place to see a Golden Tanager?

Yes

Of the 5 parks where we can rate Golden Tanager sightings, Farallones de Cali National Natural Park has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Henri Pittier National Park (Venezuela, about 30%) and Podocarpus National Park (Ecuador, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Golden Tanager live in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park?

Same genus: Tangara

The closest relatives of the Golden Tanager that you can see in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (genus Tangara, Tangara Tanagers) are Silver-throated Tanager (about 60%), Bay-headed Tanager (about 30%) and Metallic-green Tanager (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Golden Tanager sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Golden Tanager is recorded against all the birds logged in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (2,927 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.

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