The Cornell Lab Bird Academy › Discussion Groups › Joy of Birdwatching › Tanager or Cardinal?

    • Esteban
      Participant
      Chirps: 164
      Why does the scarlet tanager was classificated as a cardinalidae and not a tanager? (like the summer tanager).
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    • Elizabeth
      Bird Academy
      It is confusing! The Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager, and the rest of the species in the Piranga genus were originally placed in the Thraupidae family. However, more recent genetic testing has shown they actually belong in the Cardinalidae family. Things like this happen frequently as molecular techniques become more advanced.