Tanagers

Tanagers, a book name for the birds of the Passerine family Tanagridae, mostly Neotropical, a single genus being widely spread over North America. There are about 400 species, distributed by Dr. Sclater into six sub-families. These birds are closely allied to the finches, but in many the bill is notched, and in some it carries a tooth. They are of small size, none being larger than a thrush, and of brilliant plumage, sometimes shared by the females. Tanagers are well-known cage-birds, and some have good powers of song.