Western Tanager    Piranga ludoviciana

Conservation Status

General Status in Canada : Secure

COSEWIC Status : Not assessed

Western Tanagers breed in open woodlands and in some areas have been found to prefer old-growth (>200 yr) and mature conifer forests (>120 yr), although they are not considered an old-growth dependent species. Given its preference for open woodlands, disturbances that create gaps in the canopy and increase woody debris have been associated with an increase in Western Tanager abundance; as such, this species appears not to be overly sensitive to forestry practices except for clear-cutting and heavy thinning. In the southern portions of their range where land-use is dominated by cattle grazing, cowbird parasitism is high. This may be negatively impacting the species. In addition, in other regions of the United States some populations are thought not to be self-sustaining, making preferred and remote habitats in the northern boreal forest increasingly important for the Western Tanager. Overall, the Western Tanager is currently not considered to be a conservation concern, however, ongoing habitat loss and poor management of old-growth or mature forests may make this species a candidate for concern in the future.

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