tanager

tanager (tăn`əjər), any of the small, migratory perching birds of the family Thraupidae, chiefly of the tropical New World. Only five species migrate to North America; of these the scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea) has the widest range in the United States. It is about 7 in. (18 cm) long. As in most tanagers, only the male has brilliant plumage; it is scarlet with black wings, tail, and beak. The song of the scarlet tanager is less melodious than that of the rosy-red summer tanager (P. rubra) of the South. The male western, or Louisiana, tanager (P. ludoviciana) is yellow, black, and red. Females of these species are olive green above and yellow below. Tanagers are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Passeriformes, family Thraupidae.

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tanager

Any of 200–220 species (family Emberizidae) of New World songbirds inhabiting forests and gardens. Most species are 4–8 in. (10–20 cm) long and have a short neck. Bills vary in shape, but all are slightly toothed and hooked. Tanagers have brilliant plumage in reds, yellows, greens, blues, and black, sometimes strikingly patterned. Most species are arboreal; most eat fruit, and some eat insects. The scarlet, summer, and western tanagers breed in temperate North America. The hepatic tanager breeds from Arizona to central Argentina. Most other species are chiefly tropical.