CreatureData

Magpie tanager

Cissopis leverianus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788)

LCLeast Concernsongbirds

The magpie tanager (Cissopis leverianus) is a species in the family Thraupidae, order Passeriformes. Recorded adults weigh 76 g to 78.7 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Magpie tanager (Cissopis leverianus)
Photo: Hector Bottai · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the magpie tanager

Weight
76 g – 78.7 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Omnivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
woodlandsrc for Habitat
Young per litter or clutch
2src for Young per litter or clutch
Lifestyle
Perchingsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Sedentarysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the magpie tanager live?

Not recorded

What is the magpie tanager?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

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.

It typically occurs in conspicuous, noisy pairs or groups of up to 10 individuals and commonly takes part in mixed-species flocks. It often moves its long tail up and down. It eats seeds, fruits, and insects. The cup-shaped nest is lined with grass, leaves, or other plant materials and is located low in trees near the ground or in shrubs in dense vegetation. The 2 eggs are reddish-brown with brown spots. The incubation time is 12–13 days in captivity.

From the Wikipedia article “Magpie tanager” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Magpie_tanager&oldid=1314571440), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

What does the magpie tanager sound like?

Niels Krabbe · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Is the magpie tanager endangered?

The magpie tanager is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the magpie tanager classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderPasseriformes
  5. familyThraupidae
  6. genusCissopis
  7. SpeciesCissopis leverianus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788)

Synonyms Bethylus medius, Cissopis bicolor, Cissopis leveriana, Cissopis leveriana, Cissopis leveriana, Cissopis leveriana, Cissopis medius, Cissopis minor, Corvus collurio, Corvus lanius, Lanius picatus

Other names and names in other languages (33)
  • tàngara garseraCatalan
  • strakovec velkýCzech
  • tanagr brithWelsh
  • SkadetangarDanish
  • ElstertangareGerman
  • piga tangaroEsperanto
  • Tangara urracaSpanish
  • Frutero overoSpanish
  • Moriche BlancoSpanish
  • Tángara urracaSpanish
  • Toche blanco y negroSpanish
  • haraktangaraEstonian
  • harakkatangaraFinnish
  • Tangara pillurionFrench
  • svrakolika tangaraCroatian
  • szarkatangaraHungarian
  • Tanagra gazzaItalian
  • カササギフウキンチョウJapanese
  • šarkinė tanagraLithuanian
  • EkstertangareDutch
  • skjæretanagarNorwegian
  • srokotanagerPolish
  • tietingaPortuguese
  • tangará-pegaPortuguese
  • Tié-tingaPortuguese
  • Сорочья танаграRussian
  • tangara stračiaSlovak
  • Svrakasta tangaraSerbian
  • skattangaraSwedish
  • Saksağan TangarasıTurkish
  • тангар строкатийUkrainian
  • 鵲色唐納雀Chinese
  • 鹊色唐纳雀Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the magpie tanager

Other species in the same family Thraupidae.

LC, Least Concern
Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola)

Bananaquit

Coereba flaveola

Thraupidae

CompareMagpie tanager vs Paradise tanagerMagpie tanager vs Blue-gray tanagerMagpie tanager vs BananaquitMagpie tanager vs Green-headed tanager

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the magpie tanager?

An adult magpie tanager weighs 76 g – 78.7 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the magpie tanager endangered?

The magpie tanager is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

What kind of animal is the magpie tanager?

The magpie tanager (Cissopis leverianus) belongs to the family Thraupidae in the order Passeriformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Magpie tanager (Cissopis leverianus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/magpie-tanager

MLA

“Magpie tanager (Cissopis leverianus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/magpie-tanager.

BibTeX
@misc{magpie_tanager_2026,
  title = {Magpie tanager (Cissopis leverianus)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/magpie-tanager},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}