Lowland Hepatic Tanager (Piranga flava)
Male Lowland Hepatic Tanager, Lençois, Bahia, Brazil, July 2002 - click for larger image Brazil

There seems to be some doubt as to whether or not the Hepatic Tanager ranging from south west United States to central Argentina is one, two or three species.

Male Lowland Hepatic Tanager, Lençois, Bahia, Brazil, July 2002 - click for larger image

There are certainly three groups: the hepatica group (or Northern Hepatic Tanager) found from the USA to Nicaragua; the lutea group (or Highland Hepatic Tanager) found from Costa Rica into the northern Andes and the highlands of Venezuela; and the flava group (or Lowland Hepatic Tanager) found over much of south Brazil, Paraguay and central Argentina with small areas in the lower Amazon and the savannas of southern Guianas/Roraima.

Male Lowland Hepatic Tanager, Roraima, Brazil, July 2001 - click for larger image The male, as seen in these photos is mainly orange-red while the female is olive above and yellow below. Both sexes have dusky lores and this feature helps to distinguish it from the very similar Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) which migrates from the USA to northern South America during the northern winter.

They are found in more open woodland and scrub habitats and appear to be benefiting from deforestation in some areas. They feed on a variety of fruit as well as insects of which bees and wasps seem to be favourites.

There are illustrations in Ridgely & Tudor, Volume 1, Plate 18; Sick, Plate 42; and Isler & Isler, Plate 12.
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