Bird field guide · Tanagers and Allies

Photographing the Blue-gray Tanager

How to photograph the Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus): the right lens for its size, shutter speeds for perched and moving animals, and when it's most often seen (January, February, March and April).

10–20 cm1/2500–1/3200 s
Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus)
Photo: © Esteban Poveda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Esteban Poveda via iNaturalist
10–20 cm
Typical length (family range)
1/800 s
Shutter: perched / still
1/2500–1/3200 s
Shutter: action / flight
f/5.6–f/7.1
Aperture
13,093
Research-grade sightings in N. America
ModeManual + Auto ISOLock shutter & aperture, let ISO float
Shutter (still)1/800 s
Shutter (action)1/2500–1/3200 s
Aperturef/5.6–f/7.1
FocusAF-C + subject/eye detectionBird-eye AF with continuous focus (AF-C/AI Servo); fill at least a third of the frame.
DriveHigh-speed burst
Lens400–600 mmFull-frame equivalent

Focal length needed to frame it#

For a subject about 15 cm long filling a third or half of the frame width horizontally. Small birds demand long lenses and a close approach — a blind or feeder setup helps.

Distance⅓ of frame (FF)½ of frame (FF)⅓ of frame (APS-C)⅓ of frame (MFT)
5 m (16 ft)367 mm536 mm245 mm183 mm
10 m (33 ft)734 mm1,071 mm489 mm367 mm
15 m (49 ft)1,101 mm1,607 mm734 mm550 mm
20 m (66 ft)1,468 mm2,143 mm979 mm734 mm
30 m (98 ft)2,202 mm3,214 mm1,468 mm1,101 mm
50 m (164 ft)3,669 mm5,357 mm2,446 mm1,835 mm

When to find it#

Jan: 10% Jan Feb: 11% Feb Mar: 12% Mar Apr: 13% Apr May: 7% May Jun: 6% Jun Jul: 7% Jul Aug: 5% Aug Sep: 5% Sep Oct: 6% Oct Nov: 8% Nov Dec: 9% Dec
Share of iNaturalist observations by month across North America. Peak months: January, February, March and April.

About the Blue-gray Tanager#

The blue-gray tanager (Thraupis episcopus) is a medium-sized South American songbird of the tanager family, Thraupidae. Its range is from Mexico south to northeast Bolivia and northern Brazil, all of the Amazon Basin, except the very south. It has been introduced to Lima (Peru).

Summary adapted from Wikipedia via iNaturalist (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Field-craft tips#

  • Bright colours pop in soft overcast light.
  • Bird-eye AF with continuous focus (AF-C/AI Servo); fill at least a third of the frame.
  • Sightings peak in January, February, March and April, which is when you'll have the most chances.

Ethics#

  • The welfare of the animal comes first: if it changes its behaviour because of you, you are too close.
  • Stay on trails, respect closures around nests, leks, dens and haul-outs.
  • Avoid playback and baiting in sensitive seasons; never bait predators.
  • Don't share precise locations of rare, nesting or roosting animals publicly.

More Tanagers and Allies#

Cinnamon-rumped SeedeaterSporophila torqueola Scarlet-rumped Tanager Scarlet-rumped TanagerRamphocelus passerinii Bananaquit BananaquitCoereba flaveola Morelet's Seedeater Morelet's SeedeaterSporophila morelleti Red-legged HoneycreeperCyanerpes cyaneus Blue-black Grassquit Blue-black GrassquitVolatinia jacarina Cinnamon-bellied SaltatorSaltator grandis

Frequently asked questions#

What lens do I need to photograph a Blue-gray Tanager?

At about 15 cm long, a blue-gray tanager fills a third of a full-frame image at 10 m with roughly 734 mm, or at 20 m with 1,468 mm.

What shutter speed should I use for a Blue-gray Tanager?

1/800 s when it's still; 1/2500–1/3200 s for action.

When is the best time to photograph a Blue-gray Tanager?

Observations in North America peak in January, February, March and April. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light and activity.

Sources & licences#

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources