CR

Pied Tamarin

Saguinus bicolor

Declining

Overview

The pied tamarin, sometimes referred to as the Brazilian bare-faced tamarin, is a critically endangered species of primate found in a restricted area of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. It was named the mascot of Manaus, Brazil in 2005. The species is endangered due to the increasing size of the city of Manaus, which is encroaching on their native habitat.

The Pied Tamarin faces severe habitat destruction from rapid urban expansion around Manaus, Brazil, with over 90% of its original forest habitat already lost to development. Fragmentation isolates remaining populations in small forest patches, preventing genetic exchange and reducing breeding success. Road construction and infrastructure development continue to fragment the species' remaining range, while hunting pressure persists in some areas despite legal protection.

Threat summary

Habitat

The Pied Tamarin inhabits primary and secondary tropical rainforest in the Amazon Basin, specifically in the area north of Manaus between the Rio Negro and Rio Amazonas. It prefers the upper canopy of dense forest but can adapt to forest edges and secondary growth when primary habitat is unavailable.

Forest· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies managementEx-situ conservationFormal educationAwareness & communications

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Pied Tamarin classified as Critically Endangered?
Pied Tamarin is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Pied Tamarin faces severe habitat destruction from rapid urban expansion around Manaus, Brazil, with over 90% of its original forest habitat already lost to development. Fragmentation isolates remaining populations in small forest patches, preventing genetic exchange and reducing breeding success. Road construction and infrastructure development continue to fragment the species' remaining range, while hunting pressure persists in some areas despite legal protection.
Where does Pied Tamarin live?
Pied Tamarin occurs in Brazil. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Pied Tamarin?
The main threats to Pied Tamarin are 1.1, 2.1, 2.3, and 4.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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