Birds
Flame-Colored Tanager
Piranga bidentata · also called flame-coloured tanager
Perched in a pine-oak mountain forest, a male flame-colored tanager glows with fiery orange-red plumage, a species that occasionally interbreeds with its close relative the western tanager wherever their mountain ranges happen to overlap across Mexico.
Overview
The flame-colored tanager, Piranga bidentata, is a vividly orange-red songbird native to forest and mountain habitat across a range extending from Mexico through Central America to Panama. Its fiery male plumage, occasional hybridisation with the closely related western tanager, and close association with pine-oak mountain forest make it one of the more visually striking and genetically interesting tanagers found anywhere in Mesoamerica.
A flame with a blurred boundary
Where the flame-colored tanager’s mountain forest range meets that of the closely related western tanager, the two species occasionally interbreed, producing hybrids that blur the line between two otherwise visually distinct fiery-coloured tanagers.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread across suitable forest and mountain habitat throughout its range from Mexico to Panama.
Flame-Colored Tanager: common questions
Why is the flame-colored tanager named that?
A male of this species has fiery orange-red plumage contrasting with darker wings, a striking colour combination resembling flame that gives the species both its common name and one of the more visually memorable appearances among mountain forest tanagers.
Does the flame-colored tanager interbreed with other tanager species?
Yes, this species occasionally interbreeds with the closely related western tanager where their breeding ranges overlap, producing hybrid individuals that show a mix of characteristics from both parent species, a pattern documented in areas where their territories meet.
What kind of habitat does the flame-colored tanager prefer?
This species is closely associated with pine-oak mountain forest habitat, typically found at moderate to high elevations across a range extending from Mexico through Central America to Panama.
How do male and female flame-colored tanagers differ?
A male of this species has vivid orange-red plumage, while a female has more subdued, yellowish-olive colouring, a difference in brightness typical of many tanager species where males display more striking colours than females.