NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Western Tanager
Piranga ludoviciana (A. Wilson, 1811)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species' plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.
Wikipedia contributors, Western tanager; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:47:08.460065+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Piranga ludoviciana (A. Wilson, 1811)
- Name authority
- (A. Wilson, 1811)
- Common name
- Western Tanager
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cardinalidae
- Genus
- Piranga
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyCardinalidae
- genusPiranga Vieillot, 1808
- speciesPiranga ludoviciana (A. Wilson, 1811)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Piranga. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Flame-colored TanagerPiranga bidentata Swainson, 1827 | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivacea (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Summer TanagerPiranga rubra (Linnaeus, 1758) | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-hooded TanagerPiranga rubriceps G. R. Gray, 1844 | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-headed TanagerPiranga erythrocephala (Swainson, 1827) | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hepatic TanagerPiranga flava (Vieillot, 1822) | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hepatic TanagerPiranga hepatica Swainson, 1827 | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-winged TanagerPiranga leucoptera Trudeau, 1840 | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Tooth-billed TanagerPiranga lutea (Lesson, 1834) | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Rose-throated TanagerPiranga roseogularis S. Cabot, 1846 | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
North America
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=179882 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:77KRK. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.