Listen to the Magpie tanager
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Magpie tanager
The Magpie tanager is a bird in the family Thraupidae (order Passeriformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults weigh around 76 g.
What does the Magpie tanager sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
The recordings here are labelled as song and calls. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The magpie tanager (Cissopis leverianus) is a South American species of tanager. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Cissopis. As suggested by its common name, this blue-black and white species is superficially reminiscent of a European magpie. With a total length of 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in), a large percentage of which is tail, it is the longest species of tanager. It weighs 69–76 g (2.4–2.7 oz).
It is widespread in humid tropical and subtropical woodland, plantations, second growth, and parks in South America east of the Andes. It is absent from drier regions (such as the Caatinga) and most of north-eastern Brazil. In densely forested regions, it mainly occurs in relatively open sections (such as near major rivers). In such regions it is spreading with deforestation, which opens up the habitat. It is largely restricted to lowlands, but occurs up to an altitude of 2,000 m (6,600 ft) on the east Andean slopes. It is common throughout most of its range, but rarer in the Guianas.
More from the family Thraupidae
Paradise tanager
Tangara chilensis
Blue-gray tanager
Thraupis episcopus
Saffron finch
Sicalis flaveola
Silver-throated tanager
Tangara icterocephala
Plushcap
Catamblyrhynchus diadema
Golden tanager
Tangara arthus
Green honeycreeper
Chlorophanes spiza
Emerald tanager
Tangara florida
Yellow-bellied dacnis
Dacnis flaviventer
Beryl-spangled tanager
Tangara nigroviridis
Bay-headed tanager
Tangara gyrola
Fawn-breasted tanager
Pipraeidea melanonota
Frequently asked questions
What does a Magpie tanager sound like?
You can hear 3 recordings of the Magpie tanager on this page, including its song and calls. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the Magpie tanager endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Magpie tanager as “least concern”.
What family does the Magpie tanager belong to?
The Magpie tanager (Cissopis leverianus) belongs to the family Thraupidae in the order Passeriformes.
Sources & credits
- Song · Morona-Santiago: e-slope Cord. de Cutucú: Unnsuants, Ecuador by Niels Krabbe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Calls · Morona-Santiago: e-slope Cord. de Cutucú: Unnsuants, Ecuador by Niels Krabbe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Zamora-Chinchipe: Mariposa, Nangaritza Valley, Ecuador by Niels Krabbe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q1060456 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Magpie tanager – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Hector Bottai – CC BY-SA 4.0