Piranga erythrocephala
A vibrant and captivating resident of Mexico's highland forests, the Red-headed Tanager (*Piranga erythrocephala*) is a medium-sized songbird renowned for the male's striking plumage. Measuring approximately 13.5 to 15 cm (5.3-5.9 inches) in length and weighing around 18-20 grams, males exhibit a brilliant scarlet-red head, contrasting sharply with an olive-green back and bright yellow underparts. Females, though lacking the fiery red crown, display a more subdued olive-green head and yellow ...
Primarily inhabits humid pine-oak, oak, and evergreen cloud forests, favoring forest edges and clearings with scattered trees. Found at elevations generally ranging from 900 to 2,600 meters (2,950-8,500 feet) above sea level in mountainous regions.
Feeds primarily on a variety of insects, including caterpillars, beetles, and ants, gleaned from foliage. Supplements its insectivorous diet with small fruits and berries, especially during non-breeding seasons.
The Red-headed Tanager is a diurnal and often solitary or paired species, though it frequently joins mixed-species foraging flocks outside the breeding season, particularly with warblers and vireos. It primarily forages by gleaning insects-such as caterpillars, beetles, and ants-from foliage and ...
The Red-headed Tanager is an endemic resident of the mountainous regions of Mexico, primarily distributed along the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre del Sur. Its range extends from central Jalisco, Nayarit, and southern Michoacán eastward through the highlands of México and Morelos, and s...
Least Concern
- The Red-headed Tanager is endemic to Mexico, making it a special find for birders visiting the country's highlands. - Unlike many tanagers where the male's red extends to the body, this species is named for the male's distinctive, entirely scarlet-red head. - Its scientific name, *Piranga eryth...