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's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.
Region
Western North America
Typical Environment
Breeds from Alaska and western Canada south through the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific states into the southwestern United States. Prefers open coniferous and mixed woodlands, especially pine, fir, and spruce forests, as well as riparian corridors. During migration it uses a broad range of wooded habitats, including parks, orchards, and suburban tree cover. Winters mainly in Mexico and parts of Central America, frequenting forest edges and pine–oak zones.
Altitude Range
0–3000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The western tanager is a medium-sized American songbird now placed in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae), despite its common name. Males show a striking red-orange head produced by the rare pigment rhodoxanthin acquired from their diet. They often forage high in the canopy and are more often heard than seen. During migration they may visit fruiting trees and occasionally take offerings like orange halves.
A male enjoying the fruits of a cherry tree.
Female in a callery pear tree
Western tanager in the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge
Temperament
wary and somewhat secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with direct, agile flight
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs during the breeding season, forming loose mixed-species flocks during migration and in winter. Monogamous pairs build a shallow cup nest high on horizontal branches of conifers. The female incubates while the male often provides food; both parents feed the nestlings.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Song consists of short, burry, robin-like phrases delivered in a somewhat hoarse, buzzy tone. Common calls include a sharp, rising pit-er-ick note and other dry chips used in contact and alarm.
Plumage
Male in breeding plumage is bright yellow with a red-orange head, black back, wings, and tail, and two pale wing bars; nonbreeding males dull slightly. Female is olive-yellow with grayish-olive back, darker wings with two faint to bold wing bars, and lacks the vivid red head.
Diet
Primarily eats insects such as wasps, bees, ants, beetles, and caterpillars, which it gleans from foliage or catches on short sallies. Also consumes spiders and other arthropods. Supplements its diet with fruits and berries, especially in late summer and on migration, and occasionally sips nectar.
Preferred Environment
Forages mostly in the mid to upper canopy of coniferous and mixed forests, often along edges and clearings. In migration and winter, it uses riparian corridors, orchards, and forest edges where fruit and insects are abundant.
