Birds Active during the day

Blue-and-black Tanager

Tangara vassorii

iNaturalist eBird Wikipedia

Meet the high-altitude acrobat of the Andes. With its striking cobalt plumage and jet-black mask, the Blue-and-black Tanager is the only member of its genus to brave the chilly heights of the tree line.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Length: 13 cm (5.1 in); Weight: 18 g (0.63 oz) on average

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Colors

Brilliant cobalt to cerulean blue body; velvety black mask, wings, and tail. Females are slightly duller, often showing a more greenish-blue hue.

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Key Features

Solid cobalt blue body contrasting with deep black wings and tail
Distinct black mask extending from the bill through the eye
Small, active build with a short, thick bill
The only Tangara species found at the Andean tree line

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 6:30-10:00 AM, 3:30-5:30 PM

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Season Year-round

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Diet Omnivorous with a preference for fruit; primarily eats small berries (especially melastomes) and occasionally probes moss and lichen for small insects and spiders.

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Habitat High-elevation montane evergreen forests, cloud forests, and secondary growth near the tree line.

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Where Does the Blue-and-black Tanager Live?

This stunning bird is a native of the South American Andes, tracing a path through the high-altitude cloud forests from western Venezuela and Colombia down through Ecuador and Peru to central Bolivia. It is uniquely adapted to the thin air of the cordilleras, thriving in the rugged terrain where the forest meets the alpine tundra. You won't find this species in the lowlands; it is a true mountain specialist of the neotropical highlands.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

5 Countries

2.1M km² Range

Least Concern Conservation

CO Colombia PE Peru EC Ecuador BO Bolivia VE Venezuela

Elevation range

0 m1,000 m2,000 m4,000 m

1,500 m – 3,500 m

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iNaturalist / Verified observation data

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Behavior

The Blue-and-black Tanager is a high-altitude specialist, known for its energetic and acrobatic foraging style. Unlike many other tanagers that stay hidden in the mid-story, this species is frequently seen at the very top of the canopy or darting along the edges of dwarf forests. They are highly social birds, typically moving in pairs or small family groups, and they are nearly always a core member of mixed-species foraging flocks that roam the cloud forests.

During feeding, they exhibit impressive dexterity, often hanging upside down to reach small berries or hovering briefly to snatch an insect from the underside of a leaf. While they are not particularly shy around human settlements in high-elevation regions, they are fast-movers, rarely staying in one spot for more than a few seconds. Their presence is often announced by a series of thin, high-pitched 'tsit' calls that cut through the mountain mist.

photo_camera EverydayEarth exclusive

Camera Tips

To capture the Blue-and-black Tanager on camera, focus your efforts on high-altitude garden edges or forest borders between 2,000 and 3,000 meters. These birds are highly attracted to small, dark berries, so placing your camera near a fruiting Miconia bush or similar native melastome is your best bet for a clear shot. Since they are canopy dwellers that occasionally drop to lower levels for food, try mounting your camera 5-7 feet high on a slope to get an eye-level perspective as they forage along the periphery of the forest.

Because they are fast-moving and energetic, set your AI camera to its fastest trigger speed and utilize a 'burst' mode of 3-5 photos per trigger. Their deep blue plumage can appear almost black in the dense shadows of the cloud forest; if your camera settings allow for exposure compensation, a slight boost (+0.3 or +0.7) can help bring out the iridescent cobalt highlights. High-speed video (60fps or higher) is particularly effective for capturing their acrobatic feeding movements and social interactions.

In backyard settings within their Andean range, a platform feeder stocked with halved bananas or native fruits can lure them into view. Position the camera to face away from the rising or setting sun to avoid lens flare, which can wash out the saturation of their blue feathers. Early morning is the prime time for activity, as these birds are among the first to start foraging once the overnight mountain mist begins to lift.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Blue-and-black Tanager.

Beryl-spangled Tanager

Features heavy black spotting or 'spangles' across the body, whereas the Blue-and-black Tanager is solid blue.

Masked Flowerpiercer

Has a similar blue-and-black color scheme but features a distinctively hooked bill with a small notch for piercing flowers.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Blue-and-black Tanagers are most active during the early morning hours, typically from sunrise until about 10:00 AM. They have a second peak of activity in the late afternoon before they retreat to the dense canopy for the night.

If you live at high elevations in the Andes, you can attract them by planting native fruit-bearing shrubs like Miconia. They are also known to visit platform feeders offered with sweet fruits like bananas or papayas.

Their diet consists largely of small fruits and berries. However, they are also active insect hunters, gleaning spiders and small bugs from the mossy branches of cloud forest trees.

They are common in suburban gardens and parks only if those areas are located within their specific elevation range (1,500m–3,500m) in the Andes mountains.

Look for the solid blue body and the lack of spotting. The Beryl-spangled Tanager is similar but is covered in black 'scales' or spots, whereas the Blue-and-black Tanager has a smooth, uniform blue appearance.

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