# Western Tanager (*Piranga ludoviciana*) The Western Tanager is a colorful bird with bright yellow feathers and a red head. They love to sing and can be found in forests, especially during the summer when they come to find food. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 36 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Yellow Tanager ![Western Tanager](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Western_tanager_%2853663144738%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Western_tanager_%2853663144738%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Western Tanager male has a striking fiery-red head, brilliant yellow body, and contrasting black wings with two white wing bars. Females are duller yellow-green with dusky wings and no red. This vivid coloration makes it easily distinct from other tanager species. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Cardinalidae - **Genus:** Piranga ## Interesting facts - Males often look like they dipped their head in a pot of red paint! - Their cheerful, robin-like song can often be heard from the treetops. - They build cup-shaped nests hidden high in coniferous trees for safety! - Young tanagers are often fed juicy caterpillars by their parents! ## Special abilities - **Seasonal Voyager:** Western Tanager can navigate thousands of kilometers during migration because they use celestial cues and Earth's magnetic field. - **Aerial Hunter:** Western Tanager can catch flying insects mid-air because of their quick reflexes and agile flight. - **Color Changer:** Western Tanager males get their vibrant red head feathers through a complex metabolic process, not just diet like some birds. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 16-19 cm - **Wingspan:** 28-32 cm - **Weight:** 0.024-0.038 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Speed:** 45 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 11 days - **Migration Distance:** 4000 km ## Diet & Feeding These colorful birds enjoy a delicious mix of insects, spiders, and juicy berries! - **Age differences:** Adults switch from a largely insect diet in summer to more fruits in fall/winter. - **Primary Foods:** Beetles, Wasps, Ants, Spiders, Blackberries, Huckleberries - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Cooper's Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cooper-s-hawk) (*Accipiter cooperii*) — A swift predator that preys on smaller birds. - **Parasitizes:** [Brown-headed Cowbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-headed-cowbird) (*Molothrus ater*) — Lays its eggs in the nests of Western Tanagers. - **Eats:** [Red Raspberry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-raspberry) (*Rubus idaeus*) — Consumes the sweet berries, especially during migration. - **Eats:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Forages on insects, including flying bees and wasps. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and never try to touch or catch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Western Tanager? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Western Tanager? 16-19 cm ### What is Western Tanager's wingspan? 28-32 cm ### How much does Western Tanager weigh? 0.024-0.038 kg ### How long does Western Tanager live? 5-10 years ### How fast can Western Tanager move? 45 km/h ### What does Western Tanager eat? These colorful birds enjoy a delicious mix of insects, spiders, and juicy berries! ### Where is Western Tanager usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Alder Creek Grove](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alder-creek-grove) — California, US · Forest - [Bryce Canyon Lodge Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bryce-canyon-lodge-historic-district) — Utah, US · Historic District - [Bryce Canyon National Park Scenic Trails Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bryce-canyon-national-park-scenic-trails-historic-district) — Utah, US · Trail - [Devil's Kitchen](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/devils-kitchen) — Michigan, US · Nature Reserve - [Dinosaur Ridge](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dinosaur-ridge) — Colorado, US · Natural Landmark - [Forts Baker, Barry, and Cronkhite](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/forts-baker-barry-and-cronkhite) — California, US · Historic District [View all places to see Western Tanager](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/western-tanager) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Western Tanager: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-tanager)