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What does the Western Tanager eat?

Piranga ludoviciana

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The Western Tanager's diet shapes where and when you'll find it. Understanding what it eats helps you predict where to look.

Diet overview

Omnivore (primarily insectivorous during breeding season, frugivorous during migration and winter)

How it forages

Primarily insectivorous during the breeding season, foraging for insects (wasps, bees, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, cicadas, caterpillars) by gleaning them from foliage or catching them in flight. During migration and winter, their diet shifts to include a significant amount of fruit (berries, drupes) and nectar. They often forage high in the canopy.

When it feeds

Diurnal.

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