Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies)
- GenusPiranga (Piranga Tanagers)
- SpeciesPiranga rubra (Summer Tanager)
About the Summer Tanager
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). The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.
The summer tanager was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Fringilla rubra. Linnaeus based his description on the "summer red-bird" described and illustrated by Mark Catesby in his The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands which was published in 1729–1732. Catesby gave the location as Carolina, Linnaeus specified America; the type location is now South Carolina. The summer tanager is the type species of the genus Piranga that was introduced by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1808. The genus name Piranga is from Tupi Tijepiranga, the name for an unknown small bird; the specific rubra is from Latin ruber meaning "red".
Two subspecies are recognised: Adults have stout, pointed bills and measure 17 cm (6.7 in) in length... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Summer Tanager in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve
Rose-throated Tanager
Piranga roseogularis
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
Painted Bunting
Passerina ciris
Red-crowned Ant-Tanager
Habia rubica
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
Blue Bunting
Cyanocompsa parellina
Dickcissel
Spiza americana
Yellow Warbler
Setophaga petechia
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Tropical Mockingbird
Mimus gilvus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Summer Tanager in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Summer Tanager sighting in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, based on 42 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Summer Tanager in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve?
November has the highest sighting rate for Summer Tanager in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.