Bird World › Blue-winged warbler images › Summer tanager - Piranga rubra
The summer tanager (Piranga rubra) was formerly placed in the tanager family and is now classified with cardinals, the Cardinalidae.The summer tanager is distributed in Canada, USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, northern South America and Caribbean Islands. These tanager species are fully migratory. These tanagers are polytypic species.
Appearance, physical description and identification
The summer tanager (Piranga rubra) is a medium-sized bird, measuring 16 to 18 cm in length and weighing 24 to 38 grams.The male summer tanager has bright rosy red plumage. The female has yellowish olive upperparts and slightly paler underparts. The wings have blackish brown streaks.
The bill is stout, pointed and pale cream in color. The short legs and feet are grayish brown. The irises are blackish. There is a pale yellowish eye-ring. Their call is a sharp, loud "pik-i-tuk" sound.
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| 1.Bird World - Summer tanager - Piranga rubra Image by Alejandro Bayer Tamayo |
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| 2.Bird World - Summer tanager - Piranga rubra Image by Alejandro Bayer Tamayo |
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| 3.Bird World - Summer tanager - Piranga rubra Image by Alejandro Bayer Tamayo |
The summer tanager warbler is distributed in extreme south Canada, USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, northern South America and Caribbean Islands.
In South America these tanager species are distributed in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana.
The summer tanager nominate subspecies P. r. rubra breeds in eastern USA and winters in southern Mexico, central American countries, parts of northern South America and Caribbean Islands.
The subspecies P. r. cooperi is distributed in southwest USA and northern Mexico. This subspecies winters in central and south Mexico.
In South America these tanager species are distributed in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana.
The summer tanager nominate subspecies P. r. rubra breeds in eastern USA and winters in southern Mexico, central American countries, parts of northern South America and Caribbean Islands.
The subspecies P. r. cooperi is distributed in southwest USA and northern Mexico. This subspecies winters in central and south Mexico.
These summer tanager species have moderate forest dependence. They normally occurs in altitudes between 0 to 1800 meters.
The artificial ecosystems and habitats of these species include plantations, rural gardens, urban areas and human-altered habitats.
The natural ecosystems and habitats of these tanager species include tropical and subtropical dry forests, subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, open hardwood forests, boreal forests and temperate forests.
The artificial ecosystems and habitats of these species include plantations, rural gardens, urban areas and human-altered habitats.
The natural ecosystems and habitats of these tanager species include tropical and subtropical dry forests, subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, open hardwood forests, boreal forests and temperate forests.
The diet of these summer tanager species consists mainly of arthropods. Insects, insect larvae, caterpillars, beetles, bees, wasps and wasp larvae are their primary food.
These tanagers also feed on fruits, berries and custard apples. They forage on the upper canopy and sometimes hawk insects. They also glean insects from tree branches and foliage.
These tanagers also feed on fruits, berries and custard apples. They forage on the upper canopy and sometimes hawk insects. They also glean insects from tree branches and foliage.
The breeding season of these summer tanager species is from May to August in most of their breeding range. They are monogamous and solitary nesters. The female builds the nest on lateral branches of trees.
The nest is a shallow cup, built with dry bark stripes and plant fibers. It is lined with fine grass and fine rootlets. The clutch contains four to six eggs.
The chicks hatch out after 10-14 days of incubation. The hatchlings are altricial, depending completely on parents for brooding, feeding and protection. They fledge after 15 days.
The nest is a shallow cup, built with dry bark stripes and plant fibers. It is lined with fine grass and fine rootlets. The clutch contains four to six eggs.
The chicks hatch out after 10-14 days of incubation. The hatchlings are altricial, depending completely on parents for brooding, feeding and protection. They fledge after 15 days.
These summer tanager species are fully migratory birds. The breeding populations occur in northeast USA and southeast Canada. Populations under migration are found in southern USA.
These tanagers leave breeding grounds during August-September to winter in central America, northern South America and Caribbean islands. The return migration to the breeding grounds takes place in early summer.
These tanagers leave breeding grounds during August-September to winter in central America, northern South America and Caribbean islands. The return migration to the breeding grounds takes place in early summer.
- Scientific name: Piranga rubra
- Species author: (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Synonyms/Protonym: Fringilla rubra Linnaeus, 1758
- Family: Cardinalidae › Passeriformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
- Vernacular names: English: Summer tanager, Chinese: 玫红丽唐纳雀, French: Piranga vermillon, German: Sommerkardinal, Spanish: Piranga roja, Russian: Алая пиранга, Japanese: ナツフウキンチョウ
- Other names: Summer Tanager, Cooper's Tanager, Redbird
- Distribution: Canada, USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, northern South America, Caribbean Islands
- Diet and feeding habits: insects, invertebrates, fruits
- IUCN status listing: Least Concern (LC)
The global population size of the summer tanager (Piranga rubra) has not been quantified. The overall population trend of the species is reported to be stable.
In most of its range, this tanager species is reported to be fairly common to common. The generation length is 3.8 years. Its distribution size is about 5,680,000 sq.km.
Ecosystem degradation, ecosystem conversion and trapping of adults and juveniles for pet-trade are the main threats that may endanger the survival of the tanager species.
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated the species and has listed it as of "Least Concern".
The CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) status is ‘Not Evaluated’ for the summer tanager (Piranga rubra).
In most of its range, this tanager species is reported to be fairly common to common. The generation length is 3.8 years. Its distribution size is about 5,680,000 sq.km.
Ecosystem degradation, ecosystem conversion and trapping of adults and juveniles for pet-trade are the main threats that may endanger the survival of the tanager species.
IUCN and CITES status
The summer tanager (Piranga rubra) species does not approach the thresholds for being Vulnerable either under the range size criterion, or under the population trend criterion or under the population size criterion.The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated the species and has listed it as of "Least Concern".
The CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) status is ‘Not Evaluated’ for the summer tanager (Piranga rubra).
| Taxonomy and scientific classification of Piranga rubra | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Cardinalidae |
| Subfamily: | - |
| Genus: | Piranga |
| Species: | P. rubra |
| Binomial name: | Piranga rubra |
| IUCN status listing: |
 Least Concern |
P. r. rubra (Linnaeus, 1758) and
P. r. cooperi Ridgway, 1869.
1.Summer tanager image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alejobayer/15673629004/in/photostream/ (cropped)
Image author: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 as on 12/1/18
2.Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Piranga_rubra_(Cardenal_abejero)_-_Flickr_-_Alejandro_Bayer.jpg (cropped)
Image author: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 as on 12/1/18
3.Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Piranga_rubra_(Cardenal_abejero)_-_Flickr_-_Alejandro_Bayer_(1).jpg (cropped)
Image author: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 as on 12/1/18
Updated Dec 1, 2018
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