Catamblyrhynchus diadema
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The plushcap (Catamblyrhynchus diadema) is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae and it is the only member of the genus Catamblyrhynchus. The plushcap is one of the most distinctive of all Neotropical passerines in both its appearance and behavior. The plushcap was in its own family until recently when it was grouped with the tanagers. The bill is broad and black. The body is a chestnut color with a bright golden-yellow forecrown. The forecrown is made up of stiff feathers. It has been speculated that these short, dense feathers are less susceptible to feather wear and more resistant to moisture than typical feathers. This may be an adaptation for its specialized feeding mode, in which it probes into dense whorls of bamboo for its prey items. They are found at high elevations from northern Venezuela south to Argentina, including the coastal mountains of Venezuela and the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and extreme northwestern Argentina. They live in montane forests and secondary forests near bamboo. They forage for insects inside the bamboo. They will eat small insects, berries, and small plant matter.
The bird is very distinct and is not confused with many other birds. It stands out from the other tanagers, only possibly being confused with the golden-crowned tanager despite the golden-crowned tanager being blue. Its natural habitat is humid montane forests and it is always found in close association with Chusquea bamboo. It is typically found at elevations between 1,800 and 3,500 m (5,900–11,500 ft). Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Podocarpus National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Plushcap sighting in Podocarpus National Park on a given day, based on 89 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 170th most-seen of the 446 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–April and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Plushcap in Podocarpus National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–August and October–December, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Plushcap 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 3 parks where we can rate Plushcap sightings, Podocarpus National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Chingaza National Natural Park (Colombia, about 10%).
Same family: Thraupidae
The closest relatives of the Plushcap that you can see in Podocarpus National Park (family Thraupidae, Tanagers and Allies) are Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager (about 40%), Masked Flowerpiercer (about 40%) and Blue-necked Tanager (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Plushcap is recorded against all the birds logged in Podocarpus National Park (89 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.
