Sayaca Tanager Tangara sayaca
(aka Thraupis sayaca)

Brazilian name: sanhaçu-cinzento
Sayaca Tanager, Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, July 2002 - click for larger image Brazil

The Sayaca Tanager is the southern and eastern replacement of the Blue-grey Tanager T. episcopus to which it is very similar. See the distribution map at Birdlife International. In the few areas where the two might occur together, the Sayaca is told by its blue shoulder while the Blue-grey has a white shoulder. There are many variations of colour on the shoulder. For example, the subspecies of Blue-grey Tanager that I knew in Pereira, Colombia, had a blue shoulder patch.

Sayaca Tanager, Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil, July 2002 - click for larger image Another difference is that the edging on the wings and tail of the Sayaca Tanager are a turquoise blue, as seen in the second photo, compared to the deeper blue of the Blue-grey Tanager. Nevertheless, these two species are so similar that a case could be made for lumping them together, however their voices are significantly different.
Sayaca Tanager, Parque do Zizo, São Paulo, Brazil, November 2006 - click for larger image The Sayaca Tanager is one of the most common birds seen in Brazil as it is tolerant of a variety of habitats including cities provided there is fruit available for food.

In south-east Brazil note the similarity with the Azure-shouldered Tanager T cyanoptera. This has a larger bill, a deep blue shoulder (sometimes difficult to see) and a greenish tinge on the flanks.

Sayaca Tanager, Parque do Zizo, São Paulo, Brazil, November 2006 - click for larger image There is a page in Portuguese on Wikiaves.
Sayaca Tanager, Sauípe, Bahia, Brazil, October 2008 - click for larger image
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