The male Western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) has a bright red head, a bright yellow body and black wings whereas the female is greenish-yellow on top and yellow on her underside. It occurs throughout the Americas. The Western Tanager breeds farther north than any other member of its mostly tropical family, breeding to nearly 60° N in the Northwest Territories. The red pigment in the face is not produced by the bird but is acquired through their diet of insects that themselves acquire it from plants. Western Tanagers nest in coniferous forests of the north and the high mountains, but during migration they may show up in any habitat, including grassland and desert.
