Western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)

When they reach adulthood, they are between 15 and 19 cm in length. The male has a red head, turning yellowish at the back of it. The nape, chest, belly and rump are yellow. The back, tail and wings are black, but have two white stripes with yellow. The beak is very light yellowish and the legs are black.

The female, like other nearby species, has olive green dorsal parts and yellow ventral parts, as well as having a light beak and black legs, but it is distinguished because, like the male, it has two yellow stripes with white on the wings, which also have some black. Additionally, there is an outline of a yellowish supraocular stripe.

Habitat:

Migratory bird to be seen in winter and early spring. It nests from southern Alaska to the extreme northwest of Mexico, mainly in coniferous forests and mixed forests. They build a loose nest on a horizontal branch of a tree, usually a conifer. The female lays four blue-green eggs with brown spots. In winter they migrate southwards, and in this season, they are distributed from the south of the Baja California peninsula and the center-west of Mexico to Costa Rica, in the lowlands, reaching high population numbers.

Diet:

They feed on insects and fruits. They usually feed high in the trees, or they catch insects in flight.

Location:

Trees along the boulevard.