Western Tanager
Piranga ludoviciana
Unlike many red birds that get their color from carotenoids, the Western Tanager's red face comes from rhodoxanthin, a pigment they likely acquire by eating specific insects.
- Scientific name
- Piranga ludoviciana
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Cardinalidae › Piranga
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Open coniferous and mixed forests during breeding; tropical pine-oak and shade-grown coffee plantations in winter.
- Diet
- Insects (ants, wasps, beetles, dragonflies) and various fruits or berries.
- Range
- Western North America, Mexico, Central America
- Size
- 15-19 cm in length; 24-36 grams
- Lifespan
- Approximately 7 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss in wintering grounds, window collisions during migration, and pesticide use reducing insect prey.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and shy. Best observed with binoculars as they stay high in the canopy. If you find a grounded fledgling, leave it alone unless it is in immediate danger; the parents are likely nearby.
The western tanager ( Piranga ludoviciana ), is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.
Photo: Spencer Hurt, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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