Class Aves
Order Songbirds
Family Cardinals and Grosbeaks
Genus Piranga

Credit: Teddy Llovet

North American field guide

Western Tanager

Piranga ludoviciana

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

18 cm (7") Fairly common. Western Northern America. Open coniferous and mixed forests.

Male: red head. Black back and wings. Yellow rump and underparts. Two conspicuous wing bars; upper yellow, lower white.

Female: grayish back contrasts with greenish-yellow nape and rump. Yellowish underparts. Two conspicuous wing bars. Told from female orioles by chunkier shape and shorter, thicker bill.

Song: similar to Robin's; "pi-tic" call.

Details in the field

Photo gallery

3 photos

Credit: Julio Mulero

Credit: Tatiana Gettelman

Credit: leppyone

Watch and learn

Videos

1 video

Western Tanager

Credit: Don DesJardin

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 6 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Western Tanager (Male)

4 rules

Rule 1 15 criteria confidence 5

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:1023-western-tanager-male:1:1 Source: 1023 Western Tanager (Male), row 1

Rule 2 15 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:1023-western-tanager-male:2:1 Source: 1023 Western Tanager (Male), row 2

Rule 3 14 criteria confidence 5

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Fall · Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:1023-western-tanager-male:3:1 Source: 1023 Western Tanager (Male), row 3

Rule 4 14 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Fall · Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:1023-western-tanager-male:4:1 Source: 1023 Western Tanager (Male), row 4

Western Tanager (Female)

2 rules

Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 5

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:1024-western-tanager-female:1:1 Source: 1024 Western Tanager (Female), row 1

Rule 2 13 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:1024-western-tanager-female:2:1 Source: 1024 Western Tanager (Female), row 2