Paroaria

Paroaria, the red-headed cardinals or cardinal-tanagers (as they are not close to the Cardinalidae), are a genus of tanagers. They were until recently placed in the family Emberizidae.

Five or six species are placed here. They are all very similar-looking birds, resembling a Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis, a true Cardinalidae), though they are somewhat more slender, in particular the rather tanager-like bill.

Their coloration is also typical; they are quite unlike any Cardinalidae, though they bear a passing resemblance to adult male Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus). Like these, they are white below and dark above (grey to blackish in the case of Paroaria). But unlike P. ludovicianus, they have no conspicuous pattern except for the head, which has large amounts of bright red; it may be predominantly so or patterned red-and-black. Almost all Paroaria have at least a short crest. The bill is yellowish below or in its entirety.

Species list

 * Red-crested Cardinal, Paroaria coronata
 * Red-cowled Cardinal, Paroaria dominicana
 * Masked Cardinal, Paroaria nigrogenis
 * Crimson-fronted Cardinal, Paroaria baeri
 * Red-capped Cardinal, Paroaria gularis
 * Yellow-billed Cardinal, Paroaria capitata