The Western Tanager is a striking visitor to forested mountain regions during spring and summer. Males are unmistakable with their bright yellow bodies, black wings, and fiery red-orange heads, while females are duller yellow-green. These birds breed in coniferous and mixed pine forests from the Mogollon Rim to the sky islands of southeastern Arizona. They feed mainly on insects and fruit, often foraging high in the canopy, and their rich, robin-like song adds color and sound to the mountains during the breeding season. Most migrate south to Mexico and Central America for the winter.
Female