Western Tanager
Piranga ludoviciana
The Western Tanager’s breeding habitat is coniferous or mixed woods across western North America from the Mexico-U.S. border as far north as southern Alaska. These birds spend winters in Mexico and Central America.
Knowledgeable birders know these and other birds love to eat fruit; especially during migration. Orange halves stuck on nails or speared on pruned branches of trees were a common sight on South Padre Island, and other well-known stopover locations in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Orioles of all kinds especially enjoyed spending time at these offerings. Tanagers of all kinds, including those Western Tanagers passing through, also appreciated the food source. Bird watchers and bird photographers appreciated the opportunity to watch a variety of species, as these oranges were places in locations that brought the birds into easily viewable locations.
Until I visited south Texas during the 2021 spring migration, all my meetings were in California and Oregon. The birds I met in Texas were migrants, and the local birders were excited to meet it. Since this species is seasonally a yard bird in southern California, it didn’t generate the same level of excitement for me.
Today’s science does not recognise any subspecies of Western Tanager (i.e. they are monotypic).
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Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Female. Agua Tibia region of Palomar Mountain (North Slope). San Diego County's northern border, California. |
Date Taken: 2008:07:20 10:57 |
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Location:
Agua Tibia |
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Camera Information: |
File Name: jcd8476WesternTanager |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:07:31 8:50 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_7737WesternTanager |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: At The Waterhole. Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:07:31 7:21 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_7682WesternTanager |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:07:30 18:03 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_7629WesternTanager |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Male at Hot Springs Mountain. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2003:07:15 19:30 |
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Location:
San Ignacio |
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Camera Information: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED, |
File Name: A3G15a36-WesternTanager |
| © 2003 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Male at Hot Springs Mountain. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2003:07:12 9:43 |
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Location:
Hot Springs Mountain |
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Camera Information: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED, |
File Name: A3G12c28-WesternTanager |
| © 2003 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Male at Hot Springs Mountain. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2003:07:12 19:30 |
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Location:
San Ignacio |
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Camera Information: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED, |
File Name: A3G12c27-WesternTanager |
| © 2003 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Possibly migrating through the Upper Owens River Valley. Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:05:29 15:09 |
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Location:
Whitmore Hot Springs |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: JCD9336-WesternTanager |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Female in Poway. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:05:04 18:16 |
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Location:
Poway Grove Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 |
File Name: D3X1907-WesternTanager-Female |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Female with prey at Boulder Creek Crossing, Boulder Creek Road. In the foothills of San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2008:05:09 12:05 |
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Location:
Boulder Creek Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: JCD5338WesternTanager.Female |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Along the road to Applegate Lake from Jacksonville, Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:10 10:36 |
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Location:
Applegate Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: D3X9666-WesternTanager-Female |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Along the road to Applegate Lake from Jacksonville, Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:10 10:33 |
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Location:
Applegate Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X9590-WesternTanager-Female |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Along the road to Applegate Lake from Jacksonville, Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:10 10:31 |
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Location:
Applegate Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X9569-WesternTanager-Female |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Where the pines meet grasslands Along Highway 140 east of Lakeview Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:04 15:02 |
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Location:
Highway 140 |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/13.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X8435-WesternTanager |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Where the pines meet grasslands Along Highway 140 east of Lakeview Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:04 14:58 |
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Location:
Highway 140 |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/13.0, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X8427-WesternTanager |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Poway, Cailifornia. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2012:08:10 18:08 |
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Location:
Poway Grove Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X4697-WesternTanager |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:13 12:11 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/80 |
File Name: D3X4259-WesternTanager |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Poway. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:05:04 18:26 |
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Location:
Poway Grove Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X2002-WesternTanager |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:13 12:12 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/80 |
File Name: D3X4262-WesternTanager |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Lower Rock Creek between Lake Crowley and Round Valley in the Eastern Sierras. Mono County California. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:07 10:32 |
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Location:
Lower Rock Creek |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: WesternTanager_D5X7957 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Seen along the Inyo Craters Trail near Mammoth California. Mono County in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas. |
Date Taken: 2017:07:08 14:37 |
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Location:
Inyo Craters |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: WesternTanager_D5X8135 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Poway California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2018:05:10 18:14 |
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Location:
Poway Grove Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: WesternTanager_D504219-Poway |
| © 2018 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: 2018 Poway California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2018:05:10 18:12 |
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Location:
Poway Grove Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: WesternTanager_D504179-Poway |
| © 2018 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Poway California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2018:05:10 18:12 |
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Location:
Poway Grove Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: WesternTanager_D504175-Poway |
| © 2018 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:06 12:17 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: D3X5170-WesternTanager |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 7:29 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X8292-WesternTanager |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Milk Ranch Road, near Cuyamaca Mountain. South of Julian, California. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:06:15 11:54 |
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Location:
Cuyamaca |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X9825-WesternTanager |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:09:12 13:27 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/25 |
File Name: D3X9009-WesternTanager |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: Western Tanagers have somewhat a celebrity status in south Texas. This bird was still soaking wet from a bath. I had an exceptional day at the SPI Convention Centre. I met three new bird species: Veery, Dickcissel, and Black-Billed Cuckoo. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:15 11:37 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/6000 |
File Name: WesternTanager_D5X5702-SPI_ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana) |
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Description: When this bird leaves SPI, it will head northwest, and not northeast. Sunday was the 2nd day of the great warbler fallout, but unlike Saturday’s expedition, the sun shone through to light her subjects. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:18 15:37 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: WesternTanager_D5X8516-SPI_ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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