Flame-colored Tanager
Flame-colored Tanager
Piranga bidentata
At a Glance
Native to mountain forests of Mexico and Central America, this tanager was never found in our area until 1985, when a male spent the breeding season in Arizona's Chiricahua Mountains, paired with a female Western Tanager. Since then the species has appeared several more times in Arizona and has nested there more than once.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Forests and Woodlands
Region
Southwest
Behavior
Direct Flight, Flitter
Range & Identification
Description
7 3/4" (20 cm). Male orange with bold pattern on black wings, black stripes on back. Female resembles female Western Tanager, but may show stripes on back, white spots on tertials, dark ear patch.
Size
About the size of a Sparrow, About the size of a Robin
Color
Black, Brown, Orange, Red
Wing Shape
Rounded
Tail Shape
Notched, Rounded, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Song similar to Western Tanager but burrier and more hesitant. Common call similar to Western, a low prrrlek.
Sign up for Audubon's newsletter to learn more about birds like the Flame-colored Tanager