Hepatic Tanager

The hepatic tanager (Piranga hepatica) is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of the genus Piranga are now classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). == Etymology == The common name hepatic means "liver-coloured", namely, brownish-red. == Taxonomy == The IOC World Bird List recognises five subspecies of Piranga hepatica, found in North and Central America. Piranga hepatica hepatica Swainson, 1827 (California, Arizona, and New Mexico in the United States and Oaxaca in western Mexico) Piranga hepatica dextra Bangs, 1907 (New Mexico and western Texas in the United States, Chiapas in eastern Mexico (to Chiapas), and western Guatemala) Piranga hepatica figlina Salvin & Godman, 1883 (eastern Guatemala and Belize Piranga hepatica savannarum T.R. Howell, 1965 (eastern Honduras and northeast Nicaragua) Piranga hepatica albifacies J.T. Zimmer, 1929 (highlands of eastern Guatemala and Nicaragua) Other taxonomic authorities don't recognise Piranga hepatica as a distinct species and include it in Piranga flava, a more broadly defined hepatic tanager, with a range from the United States to Argentina. These authorities recognise three subspecies groups, which are recognised as three species by the IOC. According to this taxonomy the three subspecies groups and their subspecies are as…