Western Tanager    Piranga ludoviciana

Migratory Status: Neotropical migrant

PIF Population Estimate: 8 900 000

Percent of western hemisphere population breeding in boreal forest: <25%

BAM Effective Detection Radius (m) : 85.53

PIF Maximum Detection Distance (m) : 125

Canadian BBS Population trend: 1.0 n.s. (-0.2 to 2.2)

Life History

The Western Tanager is a vibrant, eye-catching songbird. An adult male in breeding plumage is unlikely to be confused with any other species, with its red head and bright yellow plumage contrasting strongly with its black back, wings and tail. Females lack the red head and are generally duller in appearance than males, with highly variable yellow underparts. While brightly coloured, this songbird has inconspicuous habits and is rarely seen during the breeding season; this has probably contributed to the fact that very little is known about the natural history of this species.

In summer, the Western Tanager is typical of open coniferous stands and mixed woodlands of the western boreal forest. It has a very broad latitudinal breeding range, extending farther north than any other tanager species in North America. The breeding range extends from 60° latitude in the north, to northwestern Saskatchewan in the east, and south through the western states as far as Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas. Given this wide distribution, it is interesting to note that this species is considered to be monotypic (i.e., not divided into subspecies), despite having highly variable plumage colouration, egg, and body size throughout its range. Wintering populations occur in southern California, Mexico, and further south through Central America to Costa Rica, where its closest relative, the Flame-coloured Tanager (Piranga bidentata) also resides. Hybridization between these two species has been documented in southeastern Arizona.

The diet consists predominately of insects, along with some berries and fruits, especially on wintering grounds. The red hue in the feathers of male Western Tanagers comes from the cartenoid rhodoxanthin, a red pigment uncommon in birds, and probably obtained directly from items consumed in the diet. In contrast, the red colouration in the plumage of other tanagers is thought to be produced metabolically, where carotenoids are made from xanthophylls, common yellow pigments obtained through the diet. The significance and control of this plumage colour pathway in the Western Tanager is poorly understood.

Reference(s)

Hudon, J. 1999. Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana), The Birds of North America Online, . A. Poole, Ed. Ithaca: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology; Retrieved from The Birds of North America Online database: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/432