Hepatic tanager

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Hepatic tanager
Piranga hepatica.jpg
male in Arizona
Hepatic Tanager (female) (33927209111).jpg
female
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Piranga
Species:
P. hepatica
Binomial name
Piranga hepatica
(Swainson, 1827)
Piranga hepatica map 2.svg

The hepatic tanager (Piranga hepatica) 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).

Contents

Etymology

The common name hepatic means "liver-coloured", namely, brownish-red. [2] [3]

Taxonomy

The IOC World Bird List recognises five subspecies of Piranga hepatica, found in North and Central America. [4]

Other taxonomic authorities don't recognise Piranga hepatica as a distinct species and include it in Piranga flava, a more broadly defined hepatic tanager, with a range from the United States to Argentina. [5] [6] These authorities recognise three subspecies groups, which are recognised as three species by the IOC. [4] According to this taxonomy the three subspecies groups and their subspecies are as follows: [5] [6]

The IUCN follows another taxonomy, recognising Piranga hepatica (hepatic tanager) and Piranga flava (red tanager), with the former including the subspecies includes in the hepatica and lutea groups. [8]

Description

The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family. [7] [9]

The hepatic tanager is a strongly built songbird up to 20 cm long with a short and quite thick beak and long wings and tail. The male is greyish brick-red above, reddish below with greyish ear-coverts. The female is olive yellow above, yellowish below with soot colored ear coverts. Both sexes have dark beaks and dark legs. The song is a three to four second long beautiful and thrush-like series, but also reminiscent of a black-capped cardinal. The most common sound is rendered in English literature as a clipped "tchup", while in flight it sometimes emits a soft, scream-like "wenk".

Habitat

Hepatic tanager is found in open mountain forests with pine or pine and oak. [7] There it is seen jumping slowly upwards in trees and bushes in search of food, but can also catch flying insects by lunging. It is often found in pairs or small groups, probably families. The nest is placed in a cleft far out on a branch, about 15 to 30 meters above the ground. There she lays three to five eggs. [10]

Behavior

The habits of the hepatic tanager are similar to those of the western tanager. [3]

Its call is a low, dry chup like the hermit thrush. Its song is clearer than Thraupidae tanagers and far more similar to the song of the black-headed grosbeak, another member of the Cardinalidae. The flight call is a husky and rising weet. [3]

Feeding

It looks for food in the foliage of trees, moving slowly and methodically; different individuals use different strategies. In summer, the northern form largely eats insects, spiders and some fruit. In Mexico, it has been observed to eat nectar. From Oaxaca south, it follows swarms of army ants. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardinalidae</span> Bird family

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlet tanager</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summer tanager</span> Species of bird

The summer tanager is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western tanager</span> Species of bird (Piranga ludoviciana)

The western tanager, is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), other members of its genus and it are classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-crowned ant tanager</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flame-colored tanager</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-backed grosbeak</span> Species of bird

The black-backed grosbeak is a bird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. They are often kept as cagebirds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-throated ant tanager</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmiol's tanager</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crested ant tanager</span> Species of bird

The crested ant tanager is a bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is endemic to Colombia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dusky-faced tanager</span> Species of bird

The dusky-faced tanager is a species of bird in the family Mitrospingidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-headed tanager</span> Species of bird

The red-headed tanager is a medium-sized American songbird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks, endemic to Mexico. Comprising two subspecies, it is around 15 cm (5.9 in) long. Males have predominantly yellow-olive plumage with a red head and throat and females have yellow forecrowns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-winged tanager</span> Species of bird

The white-winged tanager is a medium-sized American songbird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found from Mexico, through Central America, across northern South America and as far south as Bolivia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose-throated tanager</span> Species of bird

The rose-throated tanager is a medium-sized songbird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. Endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula in Central America, it is found in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. The male has greyish plumage with a deep rose throat and crown, while the female is similar but for a yellow crown and throat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-hooded tanager</span> Species of bird


The red-hooded tanager, is a medium-sized American songbird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnished-buff tanager</span> Species of bird

The burnished-buff tanager, also known as the rufous-crowned tanager, is a common South American species of bird in the family Thraupidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calcariidae</span> Family of birds

Calcariidae is a small family of passerine birds. It includes longspurs and snow buntings. There are six species in three genera worldwide, found mainly in North America and Eurasia. They are migratory and can live in a variety of habitats including grasslands, prairies, tundra, mountains, and beaches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-lored tanager</span> Species of bird

The yellow-lored tanager, also known as the olive tanager, is a species of bird in the cardinal family Cardinalidae that is found in South America along the eastern foothills of the Andes from southern Colombia to western Bolivia. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with Carmiol's tanager of Central America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red tanager</span> Species of bird

The red tanager is a medium-sized American songbird in the family Cardinalidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tooth-billed tanager</span> Species of bird

The tooth-billed tanager is a medium-sized American songbird in the family Cardinalidae.

References

  1. BirdLife International. (2019). "Piranga hepatica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T103811627A138437427. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T103811627A138437427.en . Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  2. "hepatic" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
    "(adj.) Liver-coloured, dark brownish-red; as in hepatic aloes , hepatic tanager."
  3. 1 2 3 Sibley, David (2003). The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America. Knopf. ISBN   0-679-45121-8.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (eds.). "Cardinals, grosbeaks and "tanager" allies". IOC World Bird List . International Ornithological Congress. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Cardinalidae Cardinals and Allies". Birds of the World Online. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  6. 1 2 "The Family Cardinalidae". Howard & Moore checklist. 4.1. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Eddleman, William R. (2002). Poole, A. (ed.). "Hepatic Tanager (Piranga flava)". The Birds of North America Online. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Archived from the original on December 10, 2012.
  8. Error: unrecognised source.
  9. Gill, Frank & Donsker, David (eds.). "IOC World Bird List" . Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  10. 1 2 Hepatic Tanager @ allaboutbirds.org