Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 7.9 in
20 cm - Wingspan
- 12.6 in
32 cm - Weight
- 0.8–1.7 oz
23–47 g
Other Names
- Tangara orangé (French)
- Tángara roja piquioscura, Tángara bermeja, Piranga rojiza, Quitrique de los altiplanos, Piranga encinera, Piranga aguacatera, Cardenal avispero (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Although the Hepatic Tanager has the most restricted range of the four tanagers in the United States, in fact it is the most widespread member of its genus. It breeds from the southwestern United States southward all the way to Argentina.
- The Hepatic Tanager may include three different species: the Hepatic Tanager, found from the United States southward to Nicaragua; the Tooth-billed Tanager, found from Costa Rica to northern South America; and the Red Tanager of eastern and southeastern South America. The two southern forms lack the dusky ear coverts of the northern form.
- The Hepatic Tanager has been little studied. As of 2002, only 106 had been banded in the United States, and only one banded bird had ever been recovered.
Habitat
Forest
Found in open pine and pine-oak forests.
Food
Insects
Insects and some fruits.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 3–5 eggs
- Egg Description
- Bluish green speckled with brown or purple, especially around the large end.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless.
Nest Description
Nest a flat cup of plant fibers, grasses, and twigs. Lined with pine needles and soft materials. Placed in fork near end of horizontal tree branch.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Flycatching
Moves slowly and deliberately through foliage, working out from base of lower limbs. Flies out and catches flushed insects.
Conservation
Least Concern
Appears to be increasing in number and expanding its range.
Credits
- Eddleman, W. R. 2002. Hepatic Tanager (Piranga flava). In The Birds of North America, No. 655 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.