The Black-capped Tanager’s diet consists mainly of fruit and insects. In Valle, Colombia, this species was observed several times feeding on Miconia and Conostegia berries and other melastostome fruits (Willis 1966; Hilty, cited in Isler and Isler 1987). This species forages for insects predominantly in trees on bare and moss-covered branches (usually less than 2.5 cm in diameter) or on vines and lianas (29 observations), and close to the tree trunk. Less often, the Black-capped Tanager was seen foraging for insects low in the bushes (Hilty, cited in Isler and Isler 1987).