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Western
Tanager
TANGARA
À TÊTE ROUGE
Piranga ludoviciana (Wilson)
Occasional spring and accidental fall
migrant; occasional summer visitor; breeding suspected but unconfirmed.
Glowing
like coals in a hot fire, the adult male Western Tanager's brilliant red head
and yellow body contrast with its black back, wings and tail. In other
plumages, well-defined wingbars help to distinguish this species from Scarlet
or Summer Tanagers.
As
the name implies, Western Tanagers breed in boreal and montane forests of
western North America. There have been about 44 sightings in Manitoba; 10 are
fully documented, and the species is sufficiently distinctive that most of the
remainder are thought to be reliable. A flurry of four reports between 1933 and
1938 commenced with a specimen found dead at Castle Point by Miss May Carritt
on or about 23 May 1933.1 Almost 30 years elapsed before the fifth
sighting, involving a pair of birds near Starbuck on 7–8 July 1963, and there
were 10 additional reports between then and 1990. The 1990s were especially
productive, with about 30 sightings, including at least seven in 1994, three
each in 1995 and 1996, and eight in 1997. However, only one bird each year was
reported in 1998 and 1999, and none in the next two years. Increased numbers
were also noted in Minnesota during the 1990s, especially in May 1995.2
Western
Tanagers have been reported throughout southern Manitoba, from Melita in the
west to Pinawa in the east, and northward to Duck Mountain and Grass River
Provincial Parks. About one third of the sightings were in the Winnipeg area,
which probably reflects observer density more than anything else, though it
contrasts with the relative dearth of Winnipeg records for the Summer Tanager.
There have been two sightings at Churchill, a male on 8 June 1988 and a female
on 18 June 1994. Most reports involved single birds, with two seen together on
five occasions, and possibly three near Clear Lake, Riding Mountain National
Park on 25 May 1975.3
Three-quarters
of the records occurred in May, with the majority between 11 and 25 May, the
earliest being at Kleefeld on 3–4 May 1995. Many of these birds were associated
with feeders stocked with seeds, which is somewhat surprising as tanagers feed
primarily on insects and fruit. Often the Western Tanagers appeared at feeders
during inclement weather when insects were scarce and the newly arrived birds'
fat resources were presumably depleted, making oil-rich seeds an attractive
emergency diet. It is difficult to say to what extent the large number of
sightings in the mid-1990s reflects a real increase in numbers (perhaps
weather-related), an increased tendency for the species to use feeders, or
improved communication among observers.
The
remaining records include June or July observations at Riding Mountain National
Park and Spruce Woods, Duck Mountain, and Grass River Provincial Parks.4,5
These occurred in mature mixed woods—seemingly suitable breeding habitat, and
some of these localities are not far from known nesting areas in central
Saskatchewan.6‑8 There is thus a slim possibility that a few
Western Tanagers breed in forested areas of western Manitoba. Other summer
sightings have occurred at localities such as Brandon and Delta, where breeding
seems less likely. The only fall sighting was at Lynchs Point, Lake Manitoba on
6 September 1997.
1 MM specimen no. 3.6‑907;
2 Janssen 1995; 3 Walley 1975; 4 Cuthbert
1974; 5 Walley 1989b; 6 Bent 1958; 7 Houston
& Street 1959; 8 Godfrey 1986.
R.J. Parsons, R.F. Koes, P. Taylor
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