Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) is a vibrant burst of color in the forests of western North America—a bird so brilliantly marked, it seems like a flying flame among the treetops. With its fiery red head, bright yellow body, and jet-black wings, the male Western Tanager is unmistakable and unforgettable. Females and juveniles are slightly more subdued in color, but equally graceful and full of personality.

These striking songbirds breed in coniferous and mixed forests from Mexico all the way to Canada, often staying hidden high in the canopy. Though their vivid colors suggest tropical origins, Western Tanagers are hardy migratory birds, traveling thousands of miles each year between North and Central America.

Their diet is just as colorful—consisting of insects, fruit, and nectar. During breeding season, you might spot them plucking berries or snatching flying insects mid-air with quick, precise movements. Their song is a gentle, robin-like warble, sweet and slightly hoarse, drifting down through the trees on warm summer mornings.

Western Tanagers are also known for their surprising red heads, which are not due to carotenoids like many other red-feathered birds, but rather from a rare pigment called rhodoxanthin, obtained from their insect diet. It’s one of nature’s clever details that makes this bird even more unique.

Symbolizing brightness, transformation, and the quiet magic of mountain forests, the Western Tanager is a living jewel—proof that even the wildest landscapes hold bursts of color and life that take your breath away.