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 80% of wildlife watchers report a Scarlet-rumped Tanager sighting in Piedras Blancas National Park on a given day, based on 2,419 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 344 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and May
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Scarlet-rumped Tanager in Piedras Blancas National Park on a given day, against about 60% in June, August–September and December, the lowest months.
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.
Among the best
Of the 26 parks where we can rate Scarlet-rumped Tanager sightings, Piedras Blancas National Park ranks 2nd at about 80%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Arenal Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 80%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Thraupidae
The closest relatives of the Scarlet-rumped Tanager that you can see in Piedras Blancas National Park (family Thraupidae, Tanagers and Allies) are Variable Seedeater (about 60%), Bananaquit (about 50%) and Blue-gray Tanager (about 50%), 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 Piedras Blancas National Park (2,419 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.
