Western Tanager
Western Tanager has surged: up 549% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Western Tanager
The Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) is a North American member of the Cardinals & Grosbeaks (Cardinalidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–8.5 in long (12–22 cm) — a medium songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 911 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 15 states, most concentrated in the Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau.
- Family
- Cardinalidae · Forest birds
Notable Western Tanager Trends
Western Tanager has surged in surveyed states: up 549% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
Western Tanager Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Western Tanager is projected to rise about 14% by 2029 — from 2.1 in 2024 to a central estimate of 2.4 (95% range 1.9–2.8). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±19.8%, with 60% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 2.7 |
| 2026 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 2.7 |
| 2027 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.8 |
| 2028 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.8 |
| 2029 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 2.8 |
Where the Western Tanager Is Detected
BBS routes recording Western Tanager, sized by most recent count.
Western Tanager Population Trend by State
| Alaska | +208% | 1990 | 10 |
| Arizona | 16× | 1970 | 37 |
| California | +74% | 1970 | 197 |
| Colorado | +122% | 1970 | 91 |
| Idaho | +362% | 1971 | 60 |
| Montana | +235% | 1970 | 69 |
| Nebraska | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Nevada | +154% | 1974 | 27 |
| New Mexico | +313% | 1970 | 38 |
| Oregon | +10% | 1970 | 120 |
| South Dakota | +206% | 1969 | 17 |
| Texas | -38% | 2007 | 5 |
| Utah | +135% | 1970 | 84 |
| Washington | +83% | 1970 | 85 |
| Wyoming | -1% | 1970 | 69 |
Western Tanager Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -19% | 1970 | 138 |
| Great Basin | +134% | 1970 | 170 |
| Northern Rockies | +108% | 1970 | 183 |
| Sierra Nevada | +5% | 1970 | 40 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +197% | 1970 | 186 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +44% | 1969 | 46 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -37% | 1996 | 7 |
| Coastal California | -22% | 1970 | 85 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -89% | 1974 | 15 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | +674% | 1970 | 29 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | 15× | 1977 | 12 |
Western Tanager Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 549% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.