Flame-colored Tanager (Piranga bidentata)

OTHER NAMES: Stripe-backed Tanager 
Latin Etymology:  Piranga (from Tupi name for an unknown bird) bidentata ("two toothed")

Female Flame-colored Tanager (Piranga bidentata) at San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Piranga bidentata citrea
Weight: g/kg  /  Length: 18-19cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A vividly coloured tanager of the upland Neotropics, found from Mexico to Panama with occassional birds in Texas and Arizona. The "citrea" subspecies seen here has a more pale yellow hue than the more reddish birds of the other subspecies. They are omnivores feeding on anthopods and berries, but a specific behaviour they have been observed doing is snatching prey being carried by army ants.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Piranga
SUBSPECIES: P. b. bidentata, P. b. citrea, P. b. flammea, P. b. sanguinolenta
 
- Sighting Locations - 

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Quitrique de Espalda Rayada

Found in Talamancan Montane Forest Ecozone
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at San Gerardo de Dota 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Piranga (from Tupi name for an unknown bird) rubra ("red")

 

 Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) at San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Piranga rubra rubra
Weight: 30g  /  Length: 17cm  /  Wingspan: 28-30cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Despite the name, the Summer Tanager has a recently been reevaltuated as a member of the cardinal family, which makes sense with it's bright red plumage. In so far as the Summer part of it's name goes, it primarily breeds in the US South and Northern Mexico, and here where I saw it in Costa Rica, was in it's Wintering range
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Piranga
SUBSPECIES: P. r. cooperi, P. r. rubra
 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Tángara Roja Migratoria ("Migratory Red Tanager")

A widespread Winter visitor
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles, San Jose, San Gerardo de Dota and Hotel Robledal

 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

OTHER NAMES: Cut-throat
Latin Etymology: Pheucticus ("shy/to flee") ludovicianus ("Louisiana")

 

Near-mature Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) at Buffalo River State Park, Minnesota, 2024  - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 43-45g  /  Length: 18-22cm  /  Wingspan: 29-33cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A solid finch-like bird of the cardinal family, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak is found in open deciduous woodland where it feeds on insects, seeds and berries. The colloquial name "cut-throat" comes from the distinctive pinkish-red plumage on the males which looks like it is bleeding from a straight line beneath the black hoodd.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Pheucticus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES - Breeds in North Eastern States of the Lower 48
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen in Minnesota

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Passerina ("sparrow") amoena ("beautiful")

Adult male Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) at Painted Canyon, North Dakota - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 13-18g  /  Length: 13-15cm  /  Wingspan: 22cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

In my opinion at least, one of the most beautiful birds of North America. A brilliant blue head with a touch of orange gives it a decidedly striking look and the bird I saw, perched with the background of North Dakota's Painted Canyon only enhanced the sighting. As with it's close relation the Indigo Bunting, not a true "Bunting" in the Old World sense, but rather a member of the Cardinal family.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Passerina
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES - Species of the North-Western Lower 48, primarily a Summer breeding visitor
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen at Painted Canyon, North Dakota

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Passerina ("sparrow") cyanea ("cyan") 

Adult male breeding plumage Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) at St Charles, Illinois, USA - August 2034

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 11-21g  /  Length: 11-15cm  /  Wingspan: 18-23cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Despite the name, not a relative of buntings in the Old World, but instead a member of the Cardinal family which has adapted to a fairly classical bunting like form. When in breeding plumage the male turns a brilliant blue, though as with all birds, this is a structural blue rather than a pigment. The female meanwhile is a much more subdued brown bird.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Passerina
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES - Summer breeding migrant to East and South of the US
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen several times in St Charles 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

OTHER NAMES: Common Cardinal, Red Cardinal, Cardinal
Latin Etymology: Cardinalis (cardinal) cardinalis (cardinal)

Adult male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) at St Charles, Illinois, USA - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: Cardinalis cardinalis cardinalis
Weight: 44g  /  Length: 21-23cm  /  Wingspan: 25-31cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

One of the most iconic birds of North America, the gloriously vermillion male Northern Cardinal is always going to stand out at the bird table. The female is a little more subdued, with a predominantly brown plumage, but still with flashes of red throughout. Named for their colour, as an allusion to the bright red robes of Catholic cardinals.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Cardinalis
SUBSPECIES: C. c. cardinalis, C. c. affinis, C. c. canicaudus, C. c. carneus, C. c. clintoni, C. c. coccineus, C. c. flammiger, C. c. floridanus, C. c. igneus, C. c. littoralis, C. c. magnirostris, C. c. mariae, C. c. phillipsi, C. c. saturatus, C. c. seftoni, C. c. sinaloensis, C. c. superbus, C. c. townsendi, C. c. yucatanicus

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES - Found in the East and South of the US
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen several times in St Charles

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Pheucticus ("shy") melanocephalus ("black headed")

Juvenile Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) at San Jose, California - August 2022 - Handled by Licenced Ringers

Featured Subspecies: unclear
Weight: 34-38g  /  Length: 18-19cm  /  Wingspan: 32cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A robust finch species and relative of the cardinal, the Black-headed Grosbeak is one of the few species that is able to eat monarch butterflies, which are usually toxic due to the milkweed they feed on. Interestingly, the same genetic solution to being protected from the milkweed toxins that the monarch has developed evolved in parralel in the grosbeak!

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Pheucticus
SUBSPECIES: P. m. maculatus, P. m. melanocephalus

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Found in the Western half of the Lower 48
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at San Jose,

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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