Plate 019 · male with a beetle, among lichens IdentificationFive marks on the plate
- 1All red brightest on crown and throat.
- 2Dusky lores and cheek framing the eye.
- 3Thick grey bill with a tooth on the edge.
- 4Darker wings with red edges.
- 5Dull red tail. No black on wings or tail.
Easily confused with Red-crested FinchCoryphospingus cucullatusSmaller, with a black-edged red crest and a brown back. Scarlet FlycatcherPyrocephalus rubinusRed below, but blackish-brown back and mask; thin bill. 019 / 100 · BIRDS · CARDINALIDAELEAST CONCERN Red Tanager
Piranga flava
Fueguero común · Hepatic Tanager
The male is red from head to tail and the female is olive-yellow. Despite the colour, it moves slowly through the canopy and is easily overlooked. It hunts large insects and also eats fruit.
- Length
- c. 18 cm
- Altitude
- 400 – 2,000 m
- Bill
- grey, with a tooth
- Female
- olive-yellow
- Treetops
- Insects and fruit
- Sexes differ
- Resident
Altitude rangeLower forest and open woods
All year Prefers edges and open woods in foothill forest and the transition to dry Chaco woodland. It is less common in dense montane forest.
FoodLarge insects and fruit
- Beetles and bugsin the canopy
- Caterpillarson leaves
- Wasps and beescaught in flight
- Fruitberries and drupes
It moves calmly along high branches, checks the foliage and sometimes catches insects in the air.
BehaviourRed but discreet
J F M A M J J A S O N D BreedingPresent - In the canopy. It spends most of its time high in the trees.
- Alone or in pairs. It sometimes joins mixed flocks.
- Cup nest. A shallow cup on a high, horizontal branch.
Where to look in Tucumán- Sierra de San Javier
- Reserva Experimental Horco Molle
- Parque Provincial La Florida
- Quebrada de Lules
- Raco