Jfor Ceacljer^ anti ^tutientfi^ 



How to Name the Birds 



STUDIES OF THE FAMILIES OF PASSERES 



BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN 



FOURTH PAPER 



Family 7. Tanagers. Tana^ridie. 



Range. — Tanagers are characteristic birds of the American tropics. 

 Only four of the some 350 known species regularly reach the United States, 

 and but two of these are found east of the Mississippi. 



Season. — Like most of our representatives of tropical families Tanagers 

 are highly migratory; all our species winter south of the United States. 

 The Scarlet Tanager, the only species found regularly north of Maryland, 

 reaches the latitude of New York City about May 5 and remains until 

 October i . 



Color. — Tanagers are remarkable for the brilliancy of their colors, to 

 which, in connection with their abundance, is largely due the popular but 



SCARLET TANAGER, Family Tanagrida; 

 One-third natural size 



erroneous idea that the majority of tropical birds are brightly colored. As a 

 rule the male is much more conspicuously colored than the female. On ac- 

 quiring his full plumage— usually in his first spring— his color may not again 

 vary appreciably, as with our Summer Tanager, or it may be changed after 



(88) 



