Photo: Kennedy Andrade Borges / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red Tanager
Piranga flava
Red Tanager (Piranga flava) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red Tanager (Piranga flava) is a member of the Cardinalidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 37.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Cardinalidae Cardinals & Allies
- Genus Piranga
- Species flava
Quick facts
- Weight
- 37.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cardinalidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red Tanager is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Red Tanager is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Red Tanager (Piranga flava) belongs to the Cardinalidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA s Guyana through e Brazil to Argentina.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 37.7 g, with a wing length of about 9.5 cm and a tail of around 7.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 5.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red Tanager?
The Red Tanager is a small bird that weighs around 37.7 g.
Where does the Red Tanager live?
The Red Tanager is found across South America with a range covering SA s Guyana through e Brazil to Argentina, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Red Tanager belong to?
The Red Tanager (Piranga flava) belongs to the Cardinalidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Red Tanager eat?
The Red Tanager is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Red Tanager migrate?
The Red Tanager is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Red Tanager endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Red Tanager make?
1 real field recording of the Red Tanager — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red Tanager's range?
The Red Tanager has a mapped global range of about 5.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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