Fun Hepatic Tanager Facts For Kids

Do you like watching birds fly high in the sky? There are different birds that come in different colors and fly across. One such bird is the hepatic tanager (Piranga flava) which is very colorful and a small bird. The hepatic tanager (Piranga flava) is often confused with the Summer Tanager, but when you compare hepatic tanager vs summer tanager, you will see that the summer tanager has a longer tail and shorter bill than the hepatic tanager. Hepatic tanager birds belong to the order Passeriformes, family Cardinalidae, and genus Piranga.

The male hepatic tanager is brick red in color with a gray bill, flank, and cheek patch. The female hepatic tanager has a brighter yellow throat with gray underparts. Here are some of the most interesting facts about the hepatic tanager, afterward do read our other articles on chipping sparrow and golden cheeked warbler as well.

What type of animal is a hepatic tanager?

The hepatic tanager (piranga flava) is a type of bird that is small in size and the color varies in males and females and also juvenile birds. This bird species can be mostly found in Central and South America. As a matter of fact, there are more than 300 Tanager species that can be found in Central and South America.  

What class of animal does a hepatic tanager belong to?

Hepatic tanagers belong to the class of birds and are very colorful in their appearance. They belong to birds belong to order Passeriformes, family Cardinalidae, and genus Piranga. It is a bird that is medium in size and has a bill that is short and heavy. Adults are grayish, brick red, in color and females are olive yellow in color and their size differs accordingly.

How many hepatic tanagers are there in the world?

There is no specific number for how many hepatic tanagers are there in the world. The population keeps changing.

Where does a hepatic tanager live?

Hepatic tanagers live in much of South and Central America and often migrate to the southwestern U.S. where these birds of North America can be found across a wide geographical range.

What is a hepatic tanager's habitat?

The hepatic tanager’s habitat includes the open pine and pine oak forests and lives in habitats that are highland. These birds of North America are mostly found in areas that are open. Hepatic tanagers that migrate can also be found in the woodlands, desert oases, and wooded stream corridors across South America and Central America, as far as Costa Rica.

Who do hepatic tanagers live with?

Like other birds from similar species, hepatic tanagers prefer to live alone and come together only during the mating season to mate with the females. Like other North American birds from similar species, this species likes to live alone rather than living with pairs or with family.

How long does a hepatic tanager live?

Hepatic tanagers are said to live for a span of five years depending on different factors which determine their lifespan. Some live for many years whereas some live for a short period of time depending on the factors such as climate change, food, and many other factors.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of hepatic tanagers takes place between mid May to early June, like the Summer Tanager. During the breeding season, the male hepatic tanager uses a silent courtship which displays in which they fly to the branches that are exposed below a hepatic tanager female and also then extend their wings and their neck to show off their bright red back. The building of their nest and also the laying of the eggs occurs usually in less than two weeks after the adults arrive during the breeding season. The nest is a cup built of grasses and weed stems. The average clutch size for these birds is three to five eggs during the entire breeding season.  

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of hepatic tanagers is of Least Concern, that is their population keeps increasing with the increase in their numbers.  The number of hepatic tanagers keeps changing based on different factors.

What do hepatic tanagers look like?

Hepatic tanagers are birds that are small in size and the males are bright red with a gray cheek patch and back that is grayish red in color. The females are orangish yellow in color and have an eye line that is dark and cheeks that are grayish in color. The birds are found in open pine and pine oak forests.

How cute are they?

Hepatic tanagers are very cute in their appearance as this species is very small in size and also their color is adorable. Not only the males, but even the females also look cute when we have a look at them.

How do they communicate?

Hepatic tanagers communicate with each other with the use of songs, calls, and also physical displays. Males sing and chase the rival males in order to defend their territory. These birds from the cardinal family counter sing at the beginning of the breeding season.

How big is a hepatic tanager?

Hepatic tanagers are very small in size as compared to the other birds from similar species. Their average size is around 8 in (20.3 cm) and their wingspan is around 12.0-12.5 in (30.4-31.7 cm).

How fast can a hepatic tanager fly?

There is no mention of accurate speed so as to how fast a hepatic tanager can fly. These birds tend to fly fast when they see their predator following them.

How much does a hepatic tanager weigh?

The hepatic tanager's range of weight is around 1.3 oz (0.03 kg) as they are very small in size and the weight varies according to the body structure.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There is no specific or particular name for the male and the female species of hepatic tanager. Hence, they are known as male hepatic tanager and female hepatic tanager respectively.

What would you call a baby hepatic tanager?

There is no specific or particular name for a baby hepatic tanager, hence it is known as a juvenile hepatic tanager.

What do they eat?

The hepatic tanager bird mainly eats insects like spiders and grasshoppers. Their diet mainly consists of insects which include caterpillars and beetles. This bird species also eats berries and small fruits.

Are they aggressive?

No, hepatic tanagers are not aggressive in nature as they love to make friends with humans.

Would they make a good pet?

No, hepatic tanagers do not make good pets. Though they are known to be beautiful birds, they do not do well in a household setting. Also, in many places, it is illegal and disregarded to own a tanager.

Did you know...

Hepatic tanagers have legs that are strong and tails that are relatively long. All hepatic tanagers have bills that are dark. They carry their sweet and caroling song through the open pine and pine oak forests. There are different species of tanagers and one of them is known as hepatic tanager.

If you want to attract Scarlet Tanagers to your backyard, your best lure might be a nice birdbath.

Symbolism of the hepatic tanager

The hepatic tanager is a symbol of joy, peace, and overflow of something that is positive. It is said that it means it is easy to empower and also applaud others when you see a hepatic tanager.

How did the hepatic tanager get its name?

The name hepatic tanager is a reference to the color of the male, a more liver red shade than that of other red tanagers.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these sulfur crested cockatoo facts and red throated loon facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our hepatic tanager coloring pages.