Habitat
Flame-colored Tanagers inhabit oak, pine-oak, and wetter mountain forests. They also occur in more disturbed habitats near forests, including coffee plantations, shady pastures, gardens, and even roadside trees.
Back to topFood
Flame-colored Tanagers feed mainly on small insects and berries. They typically forage for insects high in trees, plucking prey from the foliage. They also make short flights to catch insects in the air or from vegetation. This species also visits feeding stations with fresh fruit.
Back to topNesting
Nest Placement
Placed in trees and shrubs with dense foliage, anywhere from 1–11 meters (3–36 feet) above the ground.
Nest Description
A loose cup built with small roots, twigs, and vine tendrils; lined with fine grasses and flower heads.
Nesting Facts
| Clutch Size: | 2-3 eggs |
| Egg Description: | Pale blue, with reddish-brown and dark lavender speckling. |
Behavior
Flame-colored Tanagers usually occur alone or in pairs, high in the canopy. They sometimes join mixed-species flocks, but often remain separate from such groups. Although usually found in treetops, this species occasionally makes forays to low shrubs or the ground to feed on insects or berries.
Back to topConservation
Partners in Flight rates Flame-colored Tanager a 14 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score, indicating a Yellow Watch List species of high conservation concern.
Back to topCredits
Hilty, S. (2020). Flame-colored Tanager (Piranga bidentata), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.flctan.01
Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb (1995). A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, USA.
Partners in Flight (2023). Avian Conservation Assessment Database, version 2023.
Roberts, Dina L. (2016). Two species of tanagers (Passeriformes: Thraupidae) forage on army ant workers (Eciton burchellii) carrying immature paper wasps. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 128(3), 653-656. https://doi.org/10.1676/1559-4491-128.3.653
Sibley, D. A. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds, second edition. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, USA.
Stiles, F. G., and A. F. Skutch (1989). A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, USA.