General

Flame-colored Tanager: Tropical tanager with flame red-orange body, black wings with white wing bars and spots, and black-streaked back. Face has pale gray-tinged ear patch bordered with black. Female and juvenile are washed olive-green above and olive-yellow below.

Range and Habitat

Flame-colored Tanager: Resident in Mexico, visits mountains of southwest Texas and nests in southeastern Arizona. Preferred habitats include humid coniferous, oak, and pine-oak forests in mountains.

Breeding and Nesting

Flame-colored Tanager: Two to five green to blue eggs with gray and brown speckles are laid in a cup nest made of sticks, conifer needles, rootlets, and grass, and lined with finer materials. Nest is built on a tree branch 15 to 50 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 13 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Flame-colored Tanager: Feeds on insects and fruits. Forages from middle to high levels in trees; gleans insects from branches and foliage.

Readily Eats

Safflower, Apple Slices, Suet, Millet, Peanut Kernels, Fruit

Vocalization

Flame-colored Tanager: Song is a series of vireo-like phrases, "chick-churee-chuwee." Call is hard, rolled "pr-reck."

Similar Species

Flame-colored Tanager: Western Tanager has yellow body, red head, and pink-yellow bill.