Tanager
Tanagers | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Superfamily: | Emberizoidea |
Family: | Thraupidae Cabanis, 1847 |
Type genus | |
Thraupis Boie, F., 1826
| |
Genera | |
Many: see text | |
The tanagers (singular
Traditionally, the family contained around 240 species of mostly brightly colored fruit-eating birds.
Description
Tanagers are small to medium-sized birds. The shortest-bodied species, the white-eared conebill, is 9 cm (4 in) long and weighs 6 g (0.2 oz), barely smaller than the short-billed honeycreeper. The longest, the magpie tanager is 28 cm (11 in) and weighs 76 g (2.7 oz). The heaviest is the white-capped tanager, which weighs 114 g (4.02 oz) and measures about 24 cm (9.4 in). Both sexes are usually the same size and weight.
Tanagers are often brightly colored, but some species are black and white. Males are typically more brightly colored than females and juveniles. Most tanagers have short, rounded wings. The shape of the bill seems to be linked to the species' foraging habits.
Distribution
Tanagers are restricted to the
Behavior
Most tanagers live in pairs or in small groups of three to five individuals. These groups may consist simply of parents and their offspring. These birds may also be seen in single-species or mixed flocks. Many tanagers are thought to have dull
Diet
Tanagers are
Breeding
The breeding season is March through June in temperate areas and in September through October in South America. Some species are territorial, while others build their nests closer together. Little information is available on tanager breeding behavior. Males show off their brightest feathers to potential mates and rival males. Some species' courtship rituals involve bowing and tail lifting.
Most tanagers build
The clutch size is three to five eggs. The female incubates the eggs and builds the nest, but the male may feed the female while she incubates. Both sexes feed the young. Five species have helpers assist in feeding the young. These helpers are thought to be the previous year's nestlings.
Taxonomy
The family Thraupidae was introduced (as the subfamily Thraupinae) in 1847 by German ornithologist Jean Cabanis. The type genus is Thraupis.[5][6]
The family Thraupidae is a member of an assemblage of over 800 birds known as the New World, nine-primaried oscines. The traditional pre-molecular classification was largely based on the different feeding specializations. Nectar-feeders were placed in Coerebidae (honeycreepers), large-billed seed-eaters in Cardinalidae (cardinals and grosbeaks), smaller-billed seed-eaters in Emberizidae (New World finches and
sparrows), ground-foraging insect-eaters in Icteridae (blackbirds) and fruit-eaters
in Thraupidae.
One consequence of redefining the family boundaries is that for many species their common names are no longer congruent with the families in which they are placed. As of July 2020 there are 39 species with "tanager" in the common name that are not placed in Thraupidae. These include the widely distributed scarlet tanager and western tanager which are both now placed in Cardinalidae. There are also 106 species within Thraupidae that have "finch" in their common name.[8]
A
As of July 2023 the family contains 386 species which are divided into 15
.List of genera
Catamblyrhynchinae
The plushcap has no close relatives and is now placed in its own subfamily. It was previously placed either in the subfamily Catamblyrhynchinae within the Emberizidae or in its own family Catamblyrhynchidae.[1]
Image | Genus | Species |
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Catamblyrhynchus Lafresnaye, 1842 |
|
Charitospizinae
The coal-crested finch is endemic to the grasslands of Brazil and has no close relatives. It is unusual in that both sexes have a crest. It was formerly placed in Emberizidae.
Image | Genus | Species |
---|---|---|
Charitospiza Oberholser, 1905 |
|
Orchesticinae
Two species with large thick bills. Parkerthraustes was formerly placed in Cardinalidae.
Image | Genus | Species |
---|---|---|
Orchesticus Cabanis, 1851 |
| |
Parkerthraustes Remsen, 1997 |
|
Nemosiinae
Brightly colored sexually dichromatic birds, most form single-species flocks
Image | Genus | Species |
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Nemosia Vieillot, 1816 |
| |
Cyanicterus Bonaparte, 1850 |
| |
Sericossypha Lesson, 1844 |
| |
Compsothraupis Richmond, 1915 |
|
Emberizoidinae
Grassland dwelling birds that were formerly placed in Emberizidae.
Image | Genus | Species |
---|---|---|
Coryphaspiza G.R. Gray, 1840 |
| |
Embernagra Lesson, 1831 |
| |
Emberizoides Temminck, 1822 |
|
Porphyrospizinae
Yellow billed birds: The blue finch (Rhopospina caerulescens) was formerly placed in the Cardinalidae; the other species were formerly placed in Emberizidae.
Image | Genus | Species |
---|---|---|
Incaspiza Ridgway, 1898 |
| |
Rhopospina Cabanis, 1851 |
|
Hemithraupinae
These species are sexually dichromatic and many have yellow and black plumage. Except for Heterospingus they have slender bills.
Image | Genus | Species |
---|---|---|
Chlorophanes Reichenbach, 1853 |
| |
Iridophanes Ridgway, 1901 |
| |
Chrysothlypis Berlepsch, 1912 |
| |
Heterospingus Ridgway, 1898 |
| |
Hemithraupis Cabanis, 1850 |
|
Dacninae
Sexually dichromatic species—males have blue plumage and females are green.
Image | Genus | Species |
---|---|---|
Tersina Vieillot, 1819 |
| |
Cyanerpes Oberholser, 1899 |
| |
Dacnis Cuvier, 1816 |
|
Saltatorinae
Mainly arboreal with long tails and thick bills. Formerly placed in Cardinalidae.
Image | Genus | Species |
---|---|---|
Saltatricula Burmeister, 1861 |
| |
Saltator Vieillot, 1816 |
|
Coerebinae
This subfamily includes Darwin's finches that are endemic to the
Image | Genus | Species |
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Coereba Vieillot, 1809 |
| |
Tiaris Swainson, 1827 |
| |
Euneornis Fitzinger, 1856 |
| |
Melopyrrha Bonaparte, 1853 |
| |
Loxipasser Bryant, 1866 |
| |
Phonipara Bonaparte, 1850 |
| |
Loxigilla Lesson, 1831 |
| |
Melanospiza Ridgway, 1897 |
| |
Asemospiza Burns, Unitt, & Mason, 2016 |
|
Image | Genus | Species |
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Certhidea Gould, 1837 |
| |
Platyspiza Ridgway, 1897 |
| |
Pinaroloxias Sharpe, 1885 |
| |
Camarhynchus Gould, 1837 |
| |
Geospiza Gould, 1837 |
|
Tachyphoninae
Most of these are lowland species. Many have ornamental features such as crests, and many have sexually dichromatic plumage.[1]
Image | Genus | Species |
---|---|---|
Volatinia Reichenbach, 1850 |
| |
Conothraupis Sclater, PL, 1880 |
| |
Creurgops Sclater, PL, 1858 |
| |
Eucometis Sclater, PL, 1856 |
| |
Trichothraupis Cabanis, 1851 |
| |
Heliothraupis Lane et al., 2021 |
| |
Loriotus Jarocki, 1821 |
| |
Coryphospingus Cabanis, 1851 |
| |
Tachyphonus Vieillot, 1816 |
| |
Rhodospingus Sharpe, 1888 |
| |
Lanio Vieillot, 1816 |
| |
Ramphocelus Desmarest, 1805 |
|
Sporophilinae
These species were formerly placed in Emberizidae.
Image | Genus | Species |
---|---|---|
Sporophila Cabanis, 1844 |
Seedeaters and seed finches (includes species previously assigned to Dolospingus and Oryzoborus) 41 species:
|
Poospizinae
Some of these species were formerly placed in Emberizidae.
Image | Genus | Species |
---|---|---|
Piezorina Lafresnaye, 1843 |
| |
Xenospingus Cabanis, 1867 |
| |
Cnemoscopus Bangs & Penard, 1919 |
| |
Pseudospingus Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1896 |
| |
Poospiza Cabanis, 1847 |
| |
Kleinothraupis Burns, Unitt, & Mason, 2016 |
| |
Sphenopsis Sclater, 1862 |
| |
Thlypopsis Cabanis, 1851 |
| |
Castanozoster Burns, Unitt, & Mason, 2016 |
| |
Donacospiza Cabanis, 1851 |
| |
Cypsnagra Lesson, R, 1831 |
| |
Poospizopsis Berlepsch, 1893 |
| |
Urothraupis Taczanowski & Berlepsch, 1885 |
| |
Nephelornis Lowery & Tallman, 1976 |
| |
Microspingus Taczanowski, 1874 |
|
Diglossinae
This is a morphologically diverse group that includes seed-eaters (Nesospiza, Sicalis, Catamenia, Haplospiza), arthropod feeders (Conirostrum), a bamboo specialist (Acanthidops), an aphid feeder (Xenodacnis), and boulder field specialists (Idiopsar). Many species live at high altitudes. Conirostrum was previously placed in Parulidae, Diglossa was placed in Thraupidae and the remaining genera were placed in Emberizidae.[1]
Image | Genus | Species |
---|---|---|
Conirostrum d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1838 |
| |
Sicalis F. Boie, 1828 |
13 species
| |
Phrygilus Cabanis, 1844 |
| |
Nesospiza Cabanis, 1873 |
| |
Rowettia Lowe, 1923 |
| |
Melanodera Bonaparte, 1850 |
| |
Geospizopsis Bonaparte, 1856 |
| |
Haplospiza Cabanis, 1851 |
| |
Acanthidops Ridgway, 1882 |
| |
Xenodacnis Cabanis, 1873 |
| |
Idiopsar Cassin, 1867 |
| |
Catamenia Bonaparte, 1850 |
| |
Diglossa Wagler, 1832 |
18 species
|
Thraupinae
Typical tanagers
Image | Genus | Species |
---|---|---|
Calochaetes Sclater, PL, 1879 |
| |
Iridosornis Lesson, 1844 |
| |
Rauenia Wolters, 1980 |
| |
Pipraeidea Swainson, 1827 |
| |
Pseudosaltator K.J. Burns, Unitt & N.A. Mason, 2016 |
| |
Dubusia Bonaparte, 1850 |
| |
Buthraupis Cabanis, 1851 |
| |
Sporathraupis Ridgway, 1898 |
| |
Tephrophilus R. T. Moore, 1934 |
| |
Chlorornis Reichenbach, 1850 |
| |
Cnemathraupis Penard, 1919 |
| |
Anisognathus Reichenbach, 1850 |
| |
Chlorochrysa Bonaparte, 1851 |
| |
Wetmorethraupis Lowery & O'Neill, 1964 |
| |
Bangsia Penard, 1919 |
| |
Lophospingus Cabanis, 1878 |
| |
Neothraupis Hellmayr, 1936 |
| |
Diuca Reichenbach, 1850 |
| |
Gubernatrix Lesson, 1837 |
| |
Stephanophorus Strickland, 1841 |
| |
Cissopis Vieillot, 1816 |
| |
Schistochlamys Reichenbach, 1850 |
| |
Paroaria Bonaparte, 1832 |
| |
Ixothraupis Bonaparte, 1851 |
| |
Chalcothraupis Bonaparte, 1851 |
| |
Poecilostreptus Burns, KJ, Unitt, & Mason, NA, 2016 |
| |
Thraupis F. Boie, 1826 |
| |
Stilpnia Burns, KJ, Unitt, & Mason, NA, 2016 |
14 species
| |
Tangara Brisson, 1760 |
28 species
|
Genera formerly placed in Thraupidae
- Chlorospingus – eight species - bush-tanagers
- Oreothraupis– tanager finch
Cardinalidae – cardinals[11][7]
- Piranga – 9 species - northern tanagers
- Habia – five species - ant-tanagers or habias
- Chlorothraupis – three species
- Amaurospiza – four species
- Euphonia – 27 species
- Chlorophonia – five species
Phaenicophilidae – Hispaniolan tanagers[10][12]
- Microligea– green-tailed warbler
- Xenoligea– white-winged warbler
- Phaenicophilus – two species
Mitrospingidae – Mitrospingid tanagers[10]
- Mitrospingus – two species
- Orthogonys– olive-green tanager
- Lamprospiza– red-billed pied tanager
- Calyptophilus – two species - chat-tanagers[10][12]
References
- ^ PMID 24583021.
- ^ Storer, Robert W. (1970). "Subfamily Thraupinae". In Paynter, Raymond A. Jr (ed.). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 13. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. pp. 246–408.
- PMID 12069553.
- ^ "Family: Cardinalidae". American Ornithological Society. Retrieved Feb 1, 2019.
- ^ Cabanis, Jean (1847). "Ornithologische Notizen". Archiv für Naturgeschichte (in German). 13: 186–256, 308–352 [316].
- ^ Melville, R.V. (1977). "Opinion 1069 Correction of entry in official list of family-group names in zoology for name number 428 (Thraupidae)". Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. 33 (3/4): 162–164.
- ^ PMID 17920298.
- ^ Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "Tanagers and allies". IOC World Bird List Version 11.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- PMID 27394344.
- ^ PMID 23229025.
- .
- ^ .
Further reading
- Remsen, J. V. Jr. (2016). "Proposal 730: Revise generic limits in the Thraupidae". South American Classification Committee, American Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
External links
- Jungle-walk.com tanager pictures
- Tanager videos, photos and sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
- Thraupidae at Curlie
- . . 1914.