Nov 28

Bird of the day

White-winged tanager

Piranga leucoptera

The white-winged tanager (Piranga leucoptera) is a medium-sized American songbird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found from Mexico, through Central America, across northern South America and as far south as Bolivia.

The white-winged tanager is approximately 13 cm (5.1 in) long and weighs 13 to 20 g (0.46 to 0.71 oz). The nominate male is mostly red, with a black "mask" and black wings with white wing bars. The female is dull olive-yellow, but retains the black wings and white wing bars. The juvenile is similar to the female, but duller. The male P. l. latifasciata is darker red and the female a more intense yellow; both sexes have broader white wing bars. The male P. l. venezuelae differs from the nominate only in having a smaller "mask". P. l. ardens is similar to venezuelae but the lower wing bar is narrower.

Aliases

Piranga leucoptera

Range

Range map of White-winged tanager