_Pyranga_, VIEILLOT, Ois. Am. Sept. I, 1807, iv.—IB. Analyse, 1816,
32.—SCLATER, Pr. Zoöl. Soc. 1856, 123.
_Phœnisoma_, SWAINSON, Class. Birds, II, 1837, 284.
GEN. CHAR. Bill somewhat straight; subconical, cylindrical, notched at
tip; culmen moderately curved; commissure with a median acute lobe.
Wings elongated; the four first primaries longest. Tail moderate,
slightly forked. Colors of the male chiefly scarlet, of the female
yellowish.
[Line drawing: _Pyranga rubra._
34177 ♂]
The rictus is well provided with bristles, which bend downwards, but
if brought forward would reach the nostrils. These are rounded, and
are closely crowded by the frontal leathers. The tarsus is shorter
than the middle toe, scutellate anteriorly, and smooth on the sides
behind. The lateral toes are about equal; the basal joint of the
middle toe united for half its length to the inner toe, and by almost
the whole length to the outer.
The following table may serve to distinguish the males of the several
species of this genus. The females of all differ from the males in
having the red replaced, the dusky of upper surface by olive-green,
the brighter tint of lower parts by yellow.—R. RIDGWAY.
Species and Varieties.
A. Wing and tail blackish, or deep black, in more or less
striking contrast to the color of the upper parts. Wing with two
light bands (except in _P. rubra_).
_a._ Body and head red in the ♂; yellow in the ♀.
_Wings intense black in the ♂; back not streaked._
1. P. rubra. Wing without any bands, or with merely
indications of bright scarlet ones. ♂. Intense pure scarlet;
wings and tail intense black. ♀. Olive-green above (including
wings and tail), pale yellow below. _Juv._ ♀. Olive-green
above, yellow below; wings and tail black. _Hab._ Eastern
Province of United States.
2. P. erythromelæna. Wing with two bands of pure white. ♂.
Bright scarlet; wings, tail, and lores intense black. ♀.
Olive-green above, yellow beneath; wings and tail slaty.
Forehead, eyelids, and anterior half of cheeks
velvety-black; red of a carmine shade. _Hab._ Middle
America, north to Mirador … var. _erythromelæna_.[98]
Forehead, eyelids, and anterior half of cheeks scarlet
(lores only black); red of a scarlet shade. _Hab._ Northern
South America … var. _ardens_.[99]
_Wings brownish-dusky in the ♂; back streaked with black._
3. P. bidentata.[100] Wing with two bands of pinkish-white
(♂), or yellowish-white (♀). ♂. Above reddish-brown; head and
beneath minium-scarlet. ♀. Above olive-green; head and
beneath yellow. _Hab._ Middle America (both coasts) from
Costa Rica to Middle Mexico.
_b._ Body always yellow; head red in the ♂.
_Lesser wing-coverts black or dusky._
4. P. ludoviciana. Wing with two light yellow bands. ♂.
Back, wings, and tail intense black; head crimson. ♀. Above
olive-green, tinged with ashy on the back; beneath pale
greenish-yellow; wings and tail dusky olive-green; no red on
head. _Hab._ Western Province of United States.
_Lesser wing-coverts and middle coverts yellow._
5. P. rubriceps.[101] Wing without light bands. ♂. Back and
rump olive-green; wings and tail black; head crimson. _Hab._
New Granada.
B. Wing and tail reddish or greenish, of the same general color
of the upper parts; wing without any light bands.
_a._ Wing, 3.00. Body always yellow; head red in the ♂.
6. P. erythrocephala.[102] Above olive-green, beneath
yellow. ♂. Head red. Wing, 3.00; tail, 2.70. _Hab._ Mexico
(Temiscaltipec).
_b._ Wing 3.50 or more. Body and head red in ♂.
_Commissure with a distinct tooth; bill bluish._
7. P. hepatica. Bill small, not swollen laterally; culmen
gently curved terminally, straight basally; commissural tooth
small. ♂. Above reddish-ashy, becoming brighter reddish on
the head above; beneath minium-scarlet medially, much tinged
with ashy laterally. ♀. Ashy-green and greenish-yellow,
instead of reddish. _Juv._ ♂, similar, but throat tinged with
orange-red.
Auriculars grayish like the back; eyelids light red; lores
grayish. Wing, 4.10; tail, 3.40; bill, .50. _Hab._
Table-lands of Middle America, north into southern Rocky
Mountains of United States … var. _hepatica_.
Auriculars reddish like the neck; eyelids and lores well
defined, buffy-white. Wing, 3.60; tail, 3.25; bill, .46.
_Hab._ Paraguay … var. _azaræ_.[103]
8. P. saira. Bill large, much swollen laterally, the culmen
curved both terminally and basally. ♂. Above dark
brownish-red, beneath deep scarlet, duller laterally. ♀.
Bright olive-green and intense orange-yellow, instead of
reddish.
Commissural tooth indistinct; forehead considerably
brighter reddish or yellowish than the back. ♂. Beneath
almost entirely pure vermilion-scarlet. ♀. Beneath almost
wholly pure gamboge-yellow. Wing, 4.00; tail, 3.40; culmen,
.80. _Hab._ Eastern South America (Brazil and Trinidad) …
var. _saira_.[104]
Commissural tooth distinct, prominent; forehead scarcely
brighter reddish or yellowish than the back. ♂. Beneath
brownish-scarlet medially, more brownish laterally. ♀.
Beneath Indian-yellow medially, greenish laterally. Wing,
3.70; tail, 3.20; culmen, .80. _Hab._ Southern Middle
America, on the Atlantic (Belize, Rio Manati, Costa Rica,
Angostura, and Veragua) … var. _testacea_.[105]
_Commissure without an appreciable tooth; bill pale brownish._
9. P. æstiva. ♂. Above purplish-red, beneath pure, fine,
rosaceous-vermilion. ♀. Above brownish olive-green, beneath
ochraceous-yellow.
Head above scarcely brighter reddish or yellowish than the
back. Bill, .55, or less, from nostril; primaries, .84
longer than secondaries. Wing, 3.81; tail, 2.96; bill, .52.
_Hab._ Eastern Province of United States, south, in winter,
through Eastern Middle America to Peru … var. _æstiva_.
Head above decidedly brighter reddish or yellowish than the
back. Bill, .60 or more, from nostril; primaries, 1.16
longer than secondaries. Wing, 4.24; tail, 3.68; bill, .64.
_Hab._ Southern Middle Province of United States (Upper Rio
Grande region and Lower Colorado Basin); in winter south,
through Western Mexico, to Colima … var. _cooperi_.
C. Body ashy; wings, tail, and pileum dull purplish-red;
throat, lining of wing and crissum dilute rose-pink in the ♀.
10. P. roseigularis.[106] Sides of head, nape, back, and
scapulars deep ash, the dorsal region with a faint purplish
cast; lores, eyelids, cheeks, and lower parts in general,
paler, and with a dingy buff tinge,—paler on the abdomen, and
more strongly marked with ash across the breast and along
sides. Whole pileum, from bill to nape and down to the upper
edge of lores, eyes, and auriculars, wings, upper
tail-coverts, and tail, dark purplish-red. Whole throat
dilute vermilion, or rose-pink sharply defined; crissum and
lining of wings a paler shade of the same. Wing, 3.05; tail,
2.75; bill, from nostril, .45; its depth at the base, .40,
its breadth, .30; tarsus, .80. _Hab._ Yucatan.
Pyranga rubra, VIEILL.