The hepatic tanager (Piranga hepatica) is a medium-sized
Americansongbird. Formerly placed in the
tanagerfamily (Thraupidae), it and other members of the genus
Piranga are now classified in the cardinal family (
Cardinalidae).
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]
Piranga hepatica dextraBangs, 1907 (New Mexico and western
Texas in the United States,
Chiapas in eastern Mexico (to Chiapas), and western Guatemala)
Piranga hepatica figlinaSalvin & Godman, 1883 (eastern
Guatemala and
Belize
Piranga hepatica savannarumT.R. Howell, 1965 (eastern
Honduras and northeast
Nicaragua)
Piranga hepatica albifaciesJ.T. Zimmer, 1929 (highlands of eastern Guatemala and Nicaragua)
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 hepatica group (northern hepatic tanager), breeding from
Nicaragua northwards to the United States, in
pine and pine-
oak forests and partially migratory. This is the species Piranga hepatica as recognised by the IOC, with the five subspecies listed above.[4]
the lutea group (highland hepatic tanager), resident from
Costa Rica to northern and western
South America in highland forest edges. The IOC recognises these subspecies as the species Piranga lutea (the
tooth-billed tanager).[4]
Piranga hepatica testaceaP.L. Sclater & Salvin, 1868 (highlands of northern
Costa Rica and eastern
Panama)
Piranga hepatica lutea(Lesson, 1834) (southwestern Colombia and northwestern
Bolivia)
the flava group (lowland hepatic tanager), resident in open woods elsewhere in South America.[7] The IOC recognises these subspecies as the species Piranga flava (the
red tanager).[4]
Piranga hepatica macconnelli C. Chubb, 1921 (southern
Guyana, southern
Suriname and northern Brazil)
Piranga hepatica saira (von Spix, 1825) (eastern and southern Brazil)
Piranga hepatica flava (Vieillot, 1822) (southeastern Bolivia,
Paraguay, northern Argentina and
Uruguay
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]
^
ab"The Family Cardinalidae". Howard & Moore checklist. 4.1. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
^
abcEddleman, 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.