Western Tanager
Western TanagerWestern TanagerWestern TanagerWestern Tanager

Western Tanager

Piranga ludoviciana

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Saguaro National Park
3,061 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
21,722 Verified sightings across all 58 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Western Tanager

The western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of its genus are classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species' plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.

The western tanager was illustrated and formally described by American ornithologist Alexander Wilson in 1811 under the binomial name Tanagra ludoviciana from a specimen collected on the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806). The type locality is Kamiah, Idaho. The specific epithet is from the Late Latin ludovicianus for "Louis". The name is from Louisiana, the 18th-century French administrative district of New France, rather than the modern state. The western tanager is now placed in the genus Piranga that was introduced by French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1808. The species is monotypic; no subspecies are recognized.

Measurements: Length: 6.3–7.5 in (16–19 cm) Weight: 0.8–1.3 oz (24–36 g) Wingspan: 11.5 in (29 cm) Adults have pale, stout pointed bills, yellow underparts, and light wing bars. Adult males have a bright red face and... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Summer Tanager
LC

Summer Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga rubra

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Hepatic Tanager
LC

Hepatic Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga flava

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Scarlet Tanager
LC

Scarlet Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga olivacea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Northern Cardinal
LC Endemic

Northern Cardinal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis cardinalis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Pyrrhuloxia
LC

Pyrrhuloxia

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis sinuatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Lazuli Bunting
LC

Lazuli Bunting

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina amoena

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Black-headed Grosbeak
LC

Black-headed Grosbeak

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pheucticus melanocephalus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Blue Grosbeak
LC

Blue Grosbeak

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina caerulea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Varied Bunting
LC

Varied Bunting

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina versicolor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Dickcissel
LC

Dickcissel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spiza americana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Indigo Bunting
LC

Indigo Bunting

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina cyanea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
LC

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
2 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
~40%
3 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
4 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
5 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
6 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
7 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
8 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
9 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
10 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
11 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
12 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
13 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
14 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
15 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
16 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
17 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
18 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
19 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
20 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
21 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
22 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
23 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
24 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
25 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
26 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
27 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
28 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
29 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
30 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
31 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
32 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
33 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
34 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
35 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
36 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
37 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
38 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
39 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
<5%
40 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
41 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
42 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
43 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
44 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
45 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
46 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
47 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
48 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
49 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
50 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
51 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
52 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
53 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
54 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
55 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
56 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
57 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
58 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Western Tanager in Saguaro National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Tanager sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 3,061 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Western Tanager in Saguaro National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Western Tanager in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Saguaro National Park