Lincoln Park Zoo

Common name: Blue-gray tanager
Latin Name: Thraupis episcopus

Class: Birds
Order:    Passeriformes

Description
The blue-gray tanager is named for its two-toned coloration, which is gray or light blue on the head and chest and deepens to a brighter blue along the wings and tail. Adults average 6 inches in length from head to tail.

Range
The species can be found from Mexico to northern South America.

Status
The blue-gray tanager is considered a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Its population is sizable and stable over a large area.

Habitat
Forests and woodlands. The blue-gray tanager can also be found in some developed areas.

Niche
The blue-gray tanager feeds primarily on fruit, although it will also eat insects and nectar.

Life History
After breeding, the female lays one–three eggs in a cup-shaped nest. She incubates the eggs for 14 days before they hatch, after which both parents gather food for their young.

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