Sayaca Tanager

16.5 cm. Uniformly light bluish gray, the tail and wing feather edgings turquoise blue. Sexes alike. Call a lower pitched chup" and a higher pitched "zit". Song a high pitched assembly of melodious squeaks and whistles, the sequence frequently repeated. Usually forages in family groups in the canopy of trees, but descends to fruiting shrubs. In addition to all kind of fruits eats also buds and leaves of trees, including Eucalyptus flowers ^121 . September-January. Builds neat cup nest ^92 . Clearly the most common /Thraupis tanager in the area. Found in open forest and second growth, near small wood lots, shrubby areas, gardens, parks, near human settlements, Throughout. Below 1000 meters Forms a superspecies with /Thraupis episcopus . It is not clear whether populations of /Thraupis sayaca and /Thraupis episcopus interbreed in the zone of contact. The vocalizations might be sufficiently different to represent a barrier for interbreeding ^133 . 9091 Song. Serra das Rosas S<C4>o Paulo, near Franca, 11<10>7<10>98. Rain in the morning, then sunny, 27<91>C. Secondary forest. With /Dysithamnus stictothorax, Tachyphonus coronatus, Cyclarhis gujanensis .: 1962 Song. Rio Do<C8>e, 11<10>3<10>00. Rain, 18<91>C. Open forest edge.: 4698 Song. Fazenda Intervales, 10<10>25<10>00. Cloudy, 20<91>C. Primary forest. With /Carpornis cucullatus, Leptopogon amaurocephalus, Attila rufus .: 2985 >: