Tanager, Western

Latin name: Piranga ludoviciana

Length, wingspan: 7.25″, 11.5″

What they eat: They eat all manner of insects and will also eat fruits during the fall and winter months of the year. The interesting thing is that it is believed the males get the scarlet-colored feathers by eating insects rather than naturally manufacturing that chemical on their own. They primarily eat winged insects such as dragonflies, craneflies, cicadas and wasps, but will also consume ants, beetles and caterpillars.

Plants that attract: They prefer coniferous woodlands but will also visit gardens (I took this photo in our garden!) and wooded areas near meadows. Since they will eat fruits, note that they will visit landscapes with hawthorn, elderberries, and serviceberries. That’s a great reason to add these wonderful trees and shrubs to your garden!

Where they nest: Tanagers nest in trees and it’s the female that does all of the nest-building.

My observations: We were tickled to see this beautiful male in one of our crabapples in mid-May 2023. What a gorgeously-marked bird! 

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