Introducing Piranga ludoviciana, the Western tanner: A male Western tanner can be identified by his flaming red head, brilliant yellow body, and jet-black wings. Both the top and underside of a female Western tanner are yellowish-green. Two wing bars are found on both sexes. There is a white wing bar at the bottom and a yellow bar at the top.

Characteristics

A western tanager’s length is about six to seven inches. A male western tanager can be identified by its flaming red beak, brilliant yellow plumage, and jet-black wings. A female western tanager has a yellow underbelly and a greenish-yellow top. A pair of wing bars is present in both sexes. There is a white wing bar at the bottom and a yellow one at the top.

 

Preservation of theOpen coniferous woodlands and mixed deciduous-coniferous woodlands are ideal breeding grounds for the western tanager. Its maximum elevation is 10,000 feet. During the winter, you can find it in parks and gardens as well as open mountain pine forests.

DietInsects and fruits make up the western tanager’s diet. It searches the underbrush and trees for prey. Another thing they do is fly around and catch bugs.

Period of Life

Three or five eggs are laid by the female western tanager in a cup-shaped nest that is constructed of woven grass, weeds, and bark. The nest is perched in a tree’s fork. Eggs are incubated by the mother. Approximate incubation time is two weeks. Babies are nurtured by both parents.

BehaviorA long-distance migrator is the western tanager. It makes the long journey from its breeding areas in western North America to its wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America once every year.