Summer tanager
Summer tanager | |
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Male | |
Female | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Cardinalidae |
Genus: | Piranga |
Species: | P. rubra
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Binomial name | |
Piranga rubra | |
Range Summer breeding range Winter non-breeding range Migration
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Synonyms | |
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The summer tanager (Piranga rubra) 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).[2] The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.
Taxonomy
The summer tanager was
Two subspecies are recognised:[7]
- P. r. cooperi Ridgway, 1869 – breeds in southwest USA and north Mexico, winters in south Mexico
- P. r. rubra (Linnaeus, 1758) – breeds in east USA, winters in Central and North South America
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Western race P. r. cooperi
South Padre Island, Texas -
Eastern race P. r. rubra
South Padre Island, Texas
Description
Adults have stout, pointed bills and measure 17 cm (6.7 in) in length and weigh a mean 30.1 g (1.06 oz), ranging from 25.8–33.6 g (0.99–1.19 oz).[9][10] Wingspan ranges from 28 to 30 cm.[11] Adult males are rose red and similar in appearance to the hepatic tanager, although the latter has a dark bill; females are orangish on the underparts and olive on top, with olive-brown wings and tail. As with all other birds, all red and orange colorations are acquired through their diet.
The summer tanager has an American robin-like song, similar enough that novices sometimes mistake this bird for that species. The song consists of melodic units, repeated in a constant stream. The summer tanager's song, however, is much more monotonous than that of T. migratorius, often consisting of as few as three or four distinct units. It is clearer and less nasal than the song of the scarlet tanager. The summer tanager also has a sharp, agitated-sounded call pi-tuk or pik-i-tuk-i-tuk.[12]
Distribution and habitat
The summer tanager's habitat varies regionally, with pine-oak and mixed forests preferred in the southeastern United States, and riparian lowlands preferred in the southwest.[13] These birds spend the breeding season across the southern United States and Northern Mexico, reaching as far north as Iowa and New Jersey in the east.[14] They overwinter in Mexico, Central America and northern South America.[14] This tanager is an extremely rare vagrant to western Europe.[citation needed]
Behaviour and ecology
These birds are often out of sight, foraging high in trees, sometimes flying out to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects, but also regularly supplement their diets with fruit.[13][15] Fruit of Cymbopetalum mayanum (Annonaceae) are an especially well-liked food in their winter quarters and birds will forage in human-altered habitat.[16] Consequently, these trees can be planted to entice them to residential areas, and they may well be attracted to bird feeders.[citation needed] Summer tanagers have also been reported to eat larger invertebrate prey, including snails and slugs;[17] there is additionally one report of an individual attempting to eat a vertebrate–a green anole–at a migratory stopover site in Mississippi.[18]
Summer tanagers build a
References
- . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ Remsen, J.V., Jr., C.D. Cadena, A. Jaramillo, M. Nores, J.F. Pacheco, M.B. Robbins, T.S. Schulenberg, F.G. Stiles, D.F. Stotz, and K.J. Zimmer. (2009-04-02). A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithologists' Union.Archived 2009-03-02 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 181.
- ^ Catesby, Mark (1729–1732). The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands (in English and French). Vol. 1. London: W. Innys and R. Manby. p. 56, Plate 56.
- ^ Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1970). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 13. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 306.
- ISBN 978-0-9568611-1-5.
- ^ Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Cardinals, grosbeaks and (tanager) allies". IOC World Bird List Version 10.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ^ "Summer Tanager Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology".
- ISBN 978-1-4200-6444-5.
- ^ Oiseaux.net. "Tangara vermillon - Piranga rubra - Summer Tanager". www.oiseaux.net. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- ISBN 0-395-74046-0
- ^ .
- ^ a b "Summer Tanager | Audubon Field Guide". www.audubon.org. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- doi:10.2307/2388674.
- ^ Prescott, K.W. (1965). The scarlet tanager. New Jersey State Museum Investigation No. 2, Trenton, New Jersey. 159 pp
- ^ Aborn, David A.; Froehlich, Daniel (1995). "An observation of a summer tanager attempting to eat an Anolis lizard". Journal of Field Ornithology. 66 (4): 501–502.
- ^ Potter, Eloise F. (1985). "Breeding Habits, Nestling Development, and Vocalizations in the Summer Tanager" (PDF). The Chat. 49: 57–65 – via Carolina Bird Club.
External links
- Xeno-canto: audio recordings of the Summer tanager
- Summer tanager bird sound from the Florida Museum of Natural History
- "the summer tanager media". Internet Bird Collection.
- Summer tanager photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
- Interactive range map of Piranga rubra at IUCN Red List maps