Hepatic Tanager (Piranga hepatica) [XC611760]
by Manuel Grosselet from South Fork Cave Creek Canyon, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, United States (call, song)
Hepatic Tanager (Piranga hepatica) [XC413177]
by id from Santa Gertrudis Lane, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States (call)
Subspecies
Molecular-genetic evidence indicates that this genus forms a monophyletic group with Habia and Chlorothraupis, and that all three are more closely related to cardinals (Cardinalidae) than to true tanagers. This species, Highland Hepatic-Tanager (Piranga lutea) and Red Tanager (Piranga flava) have traditionally been treated as conspecific, but molecular-genetic analyses suggest that they are better regarded as three separate species, sequence divergence (cytochrome b gene) between individuals from extremes of range (Mexico and Bolivia) being as high as 6·1%. Molecular-genetic data indicate that present species and Highland Hepatic-Tanager (Piranga lutea) are sisters, with Red Tanager (Piranga flava) sister to them. Present species and P. lutea are the most similar in appearance, and Red Tanager (Piranga flava) and Highland Hepatic-Tanager (Piranga lutea) differ most in areas where their distributions approach one another. However, analysis of geographical variation complicated by considerable individual, age and seasonal variation. In the case of present species, wing and tail lengths vary somewhat, size decreasing from north to southern (to Nicaragua), but bill length does not.
Proposed subspecies zimmeri (described from southern Sonora, in north-western Mexico) and intensa (from Oaxaca in southern Mexico) are both treated as synonymous with nominate.
Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Red Tanager (Piranga flava).
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
hepatica Swainson, 1827 - Breeds south-western USA (eastern California, Arizona and western New Mexico, casually elsewhere) south through highlands of Mexico (to Guerrero and Oaxaca). Those in north migrate to southern portion of breeding range or descend to lower elevations in winter. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Red Tanager (Piranga flava).
dextra Bangs, 1907 - Breeds southern USA (mountains of New Mexico and western Texas) south through highlands of eastern Mexico (to central Veracruz, eastern Oaxaca and Chiapas). Those in north migrate mainly to area from central Nuevo León and Tamaulipas south to western Guatemala or descend to lower elevations in winter. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Red Tanager (Piranga flava).
figlina Salvin & Godman, 1883 - Eastern Guatemala and Belize. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Red Tanager (Piranga flava).
albifacies Zimmer, JT, 1929 - Highlands of western Guatemala, Honduras, northern El Salvador and north-central Nicaragua. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Red Tanager (Piranga flava).
savannarum Howell, TR, 1965 - Extreme eastern Honduras and north-eastern Nicaragua. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Red Tanager (Piranga flava).
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