Ramphocelus passerinii
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The scarlet-rumped tanager (Ramphocelus passerinii) is a passerine bird in the family Thraupidae, the tanagers and allies. It is found from Mexico to Panama. The scarlet-rumped tanager has a complicated taxonomic history. It was formally described by Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1831 with its current binomial Ramphocelus passerinii. Based on a 1996 publication, beginning in 1997 the two were split into "Passerini's tanager" (R. passerinii) and "Cherrie's tanager" (R. costaricensis). However, a study published in 2017 refuted their status as separate species and several taxonomic systems soon returned them to their pre-split status as subspecies of the scarlet-rumped tanager. BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World made the change in 2023.
The scarlet-rumped tanager is about 15 to 17 cm (6 to 6.5 in) long and weighs 25.5 to 37.0 g (0.90 to 1.3 oz). The species is sexually dimorphic. Males of the nominate subspecies are almost entirely velvety black. Their lower back, rump... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Paz Waterfall Gardens | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Scarlet-rumped Tanager sighting in Marino Ballena National Park on a given day, based on 1,371 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 303 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Scarlet-rumped Tanager in Marino Ballena National Park on a given day, against about 50% in June, the lowest month. That is one of Marino Ballena National Park's driest months, with about 280 mm of rain against 920 mm in October.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scarlet-rumped 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 26
Of the 26 parks where we can rate Scarlet-rumped Tanager sightings, Marino Ballena National Park ranks 4th at about 70%. The best odds are in Arenal Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 80%), Piedras Blancas National Park (Costa Rica, about 80%) and Poás Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Thraupidae
The closest relatives of the Scarlet-rumped Tanager that you can see in Marino Ballena National Park (family Thraupidae, Tanagers and Allies) are Blue-gray Tanager (about 50%), Bananaquit (about 40%) and Palm Tanager (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Scarlet-rumped Tanager is recorded against all the birds logged in Marino Ballena National Park (1,371 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.
