Chestnut-headed tanager facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chestnut-headed tanager
male
female
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Thraupidae
Genus:	Thlypopsis
Species:	T. pyrrhocoma
Binomial name
Thlypopsis pyrrhocoma Burns, KJ, Unitt & Mason, NA, 2016
Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist.
Synonyms
Tachyphonus ruficeps Pyrrhocoma ruficeps

Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".

The chestnut-headed tanager (Thlypopsis pyrrhocoma) is a colorful bird. It belongs to the tanager family, called Thraupidae. You can find this bird in the beautiful Atlantic Forest. This forest stretches across southeast Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and a small part of northeastern Argentina. This bird used to be in its own group, but now it's part of the Thlypopsis genus.

Understanding the Chestnut-Headed Tanager's Name

Birds, like all living things, have scientific names. These names help scientists around the world know exactly which animal they are talking about. The chestnut-headed tanager's scientific name is Thlypopsis pyrrhocoma.

Who Named This Bird?

The first official description of the chestnut-headed tanager was in 1844. An English naturalist named Hugh Edwin Strickland gave it the name Tachyphonus ruficeps. Later, a German bird expert, Jean Cabanis, placed it in its own special group called Pyrrhocoma.

Why Did the Name Change?

Scientists are always learning new things about animals. In 2014, a special study looked at the DNA of many birds. This study showed that the chestnut-headed tanager was closely related to birds in the Thlypopsis group.

Because they were so similar, scientists decided to put the chestnut-headed tanager into the Thlypopsis group. However, there was already a bird called Thlypopsis ruficeps. To avoid confusion, they gave the chestnut-headed tanager a new specific name: pyrrhocoma.

What Does "Pyrrhocoma" Mean?

The name pyrrhocoma comes from ancient Greek words. Purrhokomēs means "red-haired." This is a perfect description for the bird's bright, chestnut-colored head!

This bird is considered "monotypic." This means there are no different types or "subspecies" of the chestnut-headed tanager. It's just one unique kind of bird.