Hemithraupis ruficapilla
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The rufous-headed tanager (Hemithraupis ruficapilla) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae, the tanagers and allies. It is endemic to Brazil. The rufous-headed tanager was formally described in 1818 with the binomial Nemosia ruficapilla. It was eventually reassigned to its present genus Hemithraupis that the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis erected in 1851. The rufous-headed tanager and the guira tanager (H. guira) hybrize where their ranges overlap; they are sister species and form a superspecies.
They are very similar and some authors suggest that they be lumped. The rufous-headed tanager is about 13 cm (5.1 in) long and weighs 11 to 13 g (0.39 to 0.46 oz). The species is sexually dimorphic. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a mostly rich reddish chestnut head with a large bright yellow crescent behind the ear coverts. Their nape and back are olive with a yellowish tinge and their rump dark orange-rufous. Their uppertail coverts are mostly yellowish with the longest being yellowish olive... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belo Horizonte | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | São Paulo | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-headed Tanager sighting in Itatiaia National Park on a given day, based on 281 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 123rd most-seen of the 352 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-headed Tanager in Itatiaia National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, the lowest month. That is one of Itatiaia National Park's driest months, with about 45 mm of rain against 330 mm in December.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufous-headed 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.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Rufous-headed Tanager sightings, Itatiaia National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Serra da Canastra National Park (Brazil, about 10%) and Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Brazil, about 10%).
Same family: Thraupidae
The closest relatives of the Rufous-headed Tanager that you can see in Itatiaia National Park (family Thraupidae, Tanagers and Allies) are Saffron Finch (about 60%), Sayaca Tanager (about 60%) and Green-winged Saltator (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rufous-headed Tanager is recorded against all the birds logged in Itatiaia National Park (281 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.
