An Activity Guide About the Songbirds of British Columbia Family THRAUPIDAE: Tanagers

Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) FIELD MARKS There are two species of tanagers found in British Columbia; the Western Tanager is the only one that is common. These birds are among the most brightly coloured in the world. Most of the other species in this family are tropical birds where they come in every colour you could imagine. The male Western Tanager has a red head and a yellow body. His back, wings and tail are black and he has two white wing bars. The female has an olive-coloured head and olive-grey back. Her wings and tail are greyish-brown with two pale yellow wing bars. Her underparts are yellow. FOOD These songbirds mainly eat insects and berries. They forage actively in trees and shrubs, or catch insects in the air. The Western Tanager usually forages in the treetops. HABITAT The Western Tanager lives farther north than any other tanager. It is usually found in open coniferous or mixed forests of the north or in mountainous areas. It migrates south to the tropics in the winter. NESTING The females build their nests in the branches of shrubs or trees. The Western Tanager usually builds its open cup-shaped nest in the fork of a horizontal branch of coniferous tree. They are made of twigs and grass, lined with animal hair and fine grass. The female lays 3-5 bluish or greenish eggs with brown blotches. The female incubates the eggs and both parents work together to feed the young. STATUS Population is declining due to habitat loss. DISTRIBUTION