| Ant tanagers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Red-throated ant tanager (Habia fuscicauda) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Cardinalidae |
| Genus: | Habia Blyth, 1840 |
| Type species | |
| Tanagra flammiceps [1] = Saltator rubicus Temminck, 1823 | |
| Species | |
Habia atrimaxillaris Contents | |
Ant tanagers are birds of the genus Habia. These are long-tailed and strong billed birds.
The genus Habia was introduced in 1840 by the English zoologist Edward Blyth. [2] The name is a word used for various finches and tanagers in the Guarani language of Paraguay. [3] The type species was subsequently designated as the red-crowned ant tanager. [4]
The males have a red crest and plumage containing red, brown or sooty hues. Females may resemble the males or be largely yellowish or brown in colour. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), they are actually closer to Cardinalis in the Cardinalidae. Consequently, it can be argued that referring to the members of this genus as ant-tanagers is misleading, but no other common name has gained usage.
All species forage for insects, which can be larger than their bills. Fruit is a minor part of their diet. red-throated, sooty and black-cheeked ant tanagers form a superspecies; they inhabit second growth and patchy woodland. They look down from a series of low (2–3 m) perches and take prey from foliage or in flight. They follow army ant swarms to catch insects that are fleeing from the ants.
Red-crowned and crested ant tanagers prefer denser undergrowth and watch from higher (4–5 m) perches, often working upwards through the foliage. They are less likely to follow ant columns.
The female alone builds a cup nest and incubates the two or three eggs. The young leave the nest before they can fly and hide in dense vegetation.
Ant-tanagers have harsh call notes but musical whistled songs.
The genus includes five species. [5]
| Male | Female | Common Name | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | Red-crowned ant tanager | Habia rubica | Mexico south to Paraguay and northern Argentina, and on Trinidad. |
 |  | Red-throated ant tanager | Habia fuscicauda | southeastern Mexico to eastern Panama. |
 | Sooty ant tanager | Habia gutturalis | Colombia | |
 | Black-cheeked ant tanager | Habia atrimaxillaris | Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. | |
 | Crested ant tanager | Habia cristata | Colombia | |
Cardinalidae is a family of New World-endemic passerine birds that consists of cardinals, grosbeaks, and buntings. It also includes several other genera such as the tanager-like Piranga and the warbler-like Granatellus. Membership of this family is not easily defined by a single or even a set of physical characteristics, but instead by molecular work. Among songbirds, they range from average-sized to relatively large, and have stout features, some species with large, heavy bills.
The tanagers comprise the bird family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has a Neotropical distribution and is the second-largest family of birds. It represents about 4% of all avian species and 12% of the Neotropical birds.
The genus Passerina is a group of birds in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). Although not directly related to buntings in the family Emberizidae, they are sometimes known as the North American buntings.
The scarlet tanager is a medium-sized American songbird. Until recently, it was placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), but it and other members of its genus are now classified as belonging to the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species' plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family, although the Piranga species lacks the thick conical bill that many cardinals possess. The species resides in thick deciduous woodlands and suburbs.
The blue-crowned hanging parrot is a parrot species endemic to southern Burma and Thailand, Malaya, Singapore, and Indonesia. These parrots are 12cm in height and weight 28g and have a longevity of 14 years. They are recognized by their green plumage, black beak and characteristic blue feathers arranged like a crown on their head.
The red-crowned ant tanager is a medium-sized passerine bird from tropical America. The genus Habia was long placed with the tanagers (Thraupidae), but it is actually closer to the cardinals (Cardinalidae). Consequently, it can be argued that referring to the members of this genus as ant-tanagers is misleading, but no other common name has gained usage.
The flame-colored tanager, formerly known as the stripe-backed tanager, is a medium-sized American songbird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found from Mexico throughout Central America to northern Panama and occasionally in the United States; four subspecies are recognized. The flame-colored tanager is 18 to 19 cm long, the male having predominantly red-orange while the female is more yellowish orange.
The white-cheeked honeyeater inhabits the east coast and the south-west corner of Australia. It has a large white patch on its cheek, brown eyes, and a yellow panel on its wing.
The red-throated ant tanager is a medium-sized passerine bird. This species is a resident breeder on the Caribbean slopes from southeastern Mexico to eastern Panama. It was usually considered an aberrant kind of tanager and placed in the Thraupidae, but is actually closer to the cardinals (Cardinalidae). Consequently, it can be argued that referring to the members of this genus as ant tanagers is misleading, but no other common name has gained usage.
The silver-throated tanager is a species of passerine bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and northeastern Peru. It inhabits mossy forests, montane evergreen forests, tropical lowland evergreen forests and forest edges, along with tall secondary forests and disturbed habitat with remnant trees and forest. It is 13 centimetres (5.1 in) long and weighs 22 grams (0.78 oz) on average, and shows slight sexual dimorphism, with duller female plumage. Adult males are mainly bright yellow, with a silvery-white throat bordered above with a black stripe on the cheeks, black streaking on the back, and green edges to the wings and tail. Juveniles are duller and greener.
The hepatic tanager is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of the genus Piranga are now classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.
The African goshawk is an African species of bird of prey in the genus Accipiter which is the type genus of the family Accipitridae.
The Australian crake , also known as Australian spotted crake, or spotted crake is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It is the only species of Australian crake in the genus Porzana.
Carmiol's tanager is a species of bird in the cardinal family Cardinalidae that is found in Central America from Nicaragua southwards to northwest Colombia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest. It was formerly considered as conspecific with the yellow-lored tanager.
The scarlet-and-white tanager is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia and northern Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest. The male is highly distinctive and has bright scarlet upperparts, darker red wings and undertail coverts, and white underparts with a scarlet median stripe running down the throat and belly. Females are patterned like the males, but are olive-brown instead of scarlet.
The black-cheeked ant tanager is a species of bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is endemic to Costa Rica.
The crested ant tanager is a bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is endemic to Colombia.
The sooty ant tanager is a species of bird in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae); formerly, it was placed with the true tanagers in the family Thraupidae.
The emerald tanager is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama. Described by the English ornithologists PL Sclater and Osbert Salvin in 1869, it is a medium-sized species that has a length of 10.6–13 cm (4.2–5.1 in) and a mass of 18–20.5 g (0.63–0.72 oz). It can be identified by its bright green plumage, with black streaking on the back and wings, and a black auricular patch and beak. It also has yellow on the crown and rump. The species shows slight sexual dimorphism, with the females being duller and having yellow-green in place of yellow on the head.
