Perching

Western Tanager

Piranga ludoviciana
Western Tanager thumbnail
Length: 7 in. (18 cm )
Usually high in dense conifer trees, this tanager can be hard to see on its breeding grounds. During migration through riparian areas and more open forest, it often moves in large but loose flocks. The nest is located high in a conifer out near the tip of a horizontal branch and made of twigs, moss and hair. Food is mainly insects and a few buds in the summer and fruits in the winter.

The four-digit banding code is WETA.

Female | Robert Shantz

Male | Robert Shantz



Fir forest

Mesquite bosque

Oak-pine woodland

Riparian / River forest

Urban city
Download Sound
Bird Sound Type: Chirping
Sex of Bird: Male
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Download Sound
Bird Sound Type: Chirping
Sex of Bird: Male
Sonogram Large:
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View Citation

You may need to edit author's name to meet the style formats, which are in most cases "Last name, First name."

Bibliographic details:

  • Article: Western Tanager
  • Author(s): Dr. Biology
  • Publisher: Arizona State University School of Life Sciences Ask A Biologist
  • Site name: ASU - Ask A Biologist
  • Date published: July 13, 2017
  • Date accessed: January 11, 2025
  • Link: https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/bird/western-tanager

APA Style

Dr. Biology. (2017, July 13). Western Tanager. ASU - Ask A Biologist. Retrieved January 11, 2025 from https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/bird/western-tanager

American Psychological Association. For more info, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/

Chicago Manual of Style

Dr. Biology. "Western Tanager". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 13 July, 2017. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/bird/western-tanager

For more info, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/04/

MLA 2017 Style

Dr. Biology. "Western Tanager". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 13 Jul 2017. ASU - Ask A Biologist, Web. 11 Jan 2025. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/bird/western-tanager

Modern Language Association, 7th Ed. For more info, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/
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