Flame-colored Tanager aka Striped Tanager, Swainson’s Tanager

The Flame-colored Tanager aka Striped Tanager, Swainson’s Tanager (Piranga bidentata) is a medium-sized songbird that was previously placed in the tanager family, but is now classified as a Cardinal.

Its plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.

It is the national bird of Puerto Rico, a commonwealth of the U.S.

Distribution:

This tropical passerine bird, the Flame-colored Tanager is primarily found in Mexico and Central America, but is occasionally seen in the United States in the mountains in the southeast corner of Arizona and the southwest corner of Texas.

Description:

The male Flame-colored Tanager has a mostly a varying reddish / rusty / orangy / yellowish plumage with black and white markings, particularly on the wings and back.

The female is mostly olive / yellowish-brownish in color, with the same black and white markings on the wings and back.

Flame-colored Tanager, Piranga bidentata, formerly known as the Stripe-backed Tanager
Flame-colored Tanager aka Striped Tanager, Swainson's Tanager (Piranga bidentata)
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Gordon Ramel

Gordon is an ecologist with two degrees from Exeter University. He's also a teacher, a poet and the owner of 1,152 books. Oh - and he wrote this website.

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