Sayaca Tanager (Thraupis sayaca)

Identification & Behavior: ~16.5 cm (6.4 in). The Sayaca Tanager has bluish-gray head and underparts with the upperpart more saturated sky blue. It is very similar to a juvenile Blue-Gray Tanager and identification in the field should be done carefully. The Sayaca Tanager does not overlap with the, also very similar, northwest Peru form of the Blue-Gray Tanager.  It forages alone and or in pairs outside forested areas.

Status: The Sayaca Tanager is common to fairly-common in most of its range. This tanager has only been included in the list of Peru birds in 2019 after years of debate on the identity of occasional birds reported in Southeast Peru (Cuzco) at elevations of approximately 1800- 2700 m. It also occurs in Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Tangara Sayaca.

Sub-species: Sayaca Tanager (Thraupis sayaca boliviana), J. Bond and Meyer de Schauensee, 1941.

Meaning of Name: Thraupis: Gr. Thraupis= unknown small bird, perhaps some sort of finch.
sayaca: Tupí name Saí-acú very lively (bird), for various tanagers.

See more of the Family Thraupidae