Western Tanager

The Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) is a medium-sized songbird with a striking appearance. The males, particularly in breeding plumage, are adorned with a bright red face, a yellow nape, shoulder, and rump, contrasted with a black upper back, wings, and tail. Females and non-breeding males are more subdued in coloration, with females sporting a yellow head and olive back, and males in non-breeding plumage having a reddish cast on the head and an olive tinge to the body.

Identification Tips

Adult Western Tanagers possess pale, stout pointed bills and light wing bars. The males are unmistakable with their red and yellow plumage, while females and juveniles can be identified by their yellowish underparts and darker wings and tail. The species can be distinguished from similar birds by their unique color pattern and bill shape.

Habitat

These birds are typically found in coniferous or mixed woods, favoring relatively open forests during the breeding season. They are also known to inhabit disturbed areas such as logged forests and agricultural lands during migration.

Distribution

Western Tanagers breed across western North America, from the Mexico-U.S. border to southern Alaska. They migrate to wintering grounds in central Mexico to Costa Rica, with some overwintering in Southern California.

Behaviour

The species is known to migrate alone or in small groups. They arrive at breeding grounds in spring and exhibit a breeding behavior that includes nest building in coniferous trees and laying clutches of bluish-green eggs. Migration timing and conditions vary, with immature birds typically migrating later than adults.

Song & Calls

The Western Tanager's song consists of disconnected short phrases that may remind one of an American robin's song but is hoarser and more monotonous. Their call is a distinctive pit-er-ick.

Breeding

Breeding occurs from May to July, with older birds typically breeding and some first-year birds also participating. They construct cup nests on horizontal tree branches, usually in conifers, and lay three to five eggs per clutch. The female incubates the eggs, and both parents feed the young, which fledge after 11 to 15 days.

Similar Species

The Western Tanager can be confused with other tanager species, but its range and distinctive breeding plumage of the male make it relatively easy to identify.

Diet and Feeding

These birds have a varied diet consisting of about 18% fruits and 82% insects. They forage by gleaning foliage and hawking insects in the air. Their diet includes fruits such as berries and cherries, as well as a variety of insects like wasps, ants, beetles, and caterpillars.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List classifies the Western Tanager as Least Concern, indicating that the species is not currently at significant risk of widespread decline.