Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Red Tanager (Piranga flava), male
Red Tanager, Male

Red Tanager

Piranga flava

The Hepatic Tanager, Piranga flava, is a medium-sized songbird of vibrant hues. This species, once thought to belong to the tanager family, now finds its place among the cardinals. With a plumage that echoes the warm tones of the cardinal family, the Hepatic Tanager is a sight to behold.

Identification Tips

Spotting a Hepatic Tanager is a delight, with males donning a resplendent red, most vivid on their forehead and throat, while females are adorned in a softer yellow. These birds are characterized by their larger, robust build compared to their Piranga cousins, a relatively short tail, and a stout bill. Look for the gray flanks, dusky cheeks, and the distinctive dark eye streak to identify them. They weigh an average of 38 grams, span about 31.8 cm across the wings, and measure 20.3 cm in length.

Habitat

The Hepatic Tanager is a versatile resident, from the pine and pine-oak forests of Nicaragua northward, to the highland forest edges and open woods of South America.

Distribution

This bird's range is extensive, stretching from the southwestern United States, including Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of southern California and Colorado, all the way down to northern Argentina and Uruguay.

Behaviour

The Hepatic Tanager shares behavioral traits with the Western Tanager. It forages methodically through tree foliage, employing various strategies to find food. Its diet is diverse, consisting of insects, spiders, fruit, and in some regions, nectar. In certain areas, it is known to follow swarms of army ants. Despite its widespread presence, much of the northern population's behavior and life history remain enigmatic.

Song & Calls

The Hepatic Tanager's vocal repertoire includes a low, dry "chup" reminiscent of the Hermit Thrush and a song that is clearer than those of Thraupidae tanagers, bearing a closer resemblance to the Black-headed Grosbeak's melody. Its flight call is a husky, ascending "weet."

Diet and Feeding

In the summer months, the northern Hepatic Tanagers feast primarily on insects, spiders, and some fruit. Further south, in Mexico, they have been observed indulging in nectar, and from Oaxaca southward, they are known to follow the swarms of army ants for sustenance.

Conservation status

The Hepatic Tanager is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that, for now, this species does not face immediate threats to its survival.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Red Tanagers on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Cardinals & Allies

A photo of a Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) , male

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
BCHphotography_
Such a great app!
I didn’t think I could enjoy birding more but this app makes it so much better. Some great features and a really great way to share your sightings with your friends or fellow birders nearby or around the world! ❤️
Stewart W
Fantastic to be involved
Fantastic to be involved, great for mental health and gets you responding with the Challenges that are to takd part in.
Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😄
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.