A stunning medium songbird — males have bright yellow body, brilliant red head, black wings and back. Females duller yellow-green.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The western tanager is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of its genus are classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species' plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.
Source: Wikipedia — Western tanager Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Male has a flaming red-orange head, bright yellow body, and black wings with yellow and white wing bars; female yellowish-green with two pale wing bars.
Similar species. Other tanagers lack the wing bars; the male's red head with a yellow body and black wings is unmistakable, and females show distinctive wing bars.
Voice. A hoarse, robin-like warble (burry phrases); call a rising 'pri-tic' or 'pit-er-ick'.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Seeds, insects, fruits.
Behavior. A tanager of western conifer and mixed forest; forages deliberately in the canopy for insects and fruit. The male's red head pigment comes from its insect diet.
§ Range
Western North America in summer
§ Habitat
Mountain coniferous and mixed forests
§ Threats
Western forest loss, climate change.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the western tanager is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support western forest protection. Skip pesticides.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Western tanager
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Piranga ludoviciana
- IUCN Red List — search for Piranga ludoviciana
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Piranga ludoviciana
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
