Western Tanager - Plant Communities

Plant Communities

In addition to the plant communities listed above, western tanagers are reported from disturbed habitats. For instance, western tanagers were seen in an area of northwestern California that had been logged less than 5 years previously. Cutleaf burnweed (Erechtites glomerata) was characteristic of the youngest age class, while slightly older sites were composed predominantly of tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) with smaller amounts of snowbrush ceanothus (Ceanothus velutinus), whitebark raspberry (Rubus leucodermis), and Sierra gooseberry (Ribes roezlii). In addition, western tanagers were captured along the Rio Grande in New Mexico during spring and fall migration in an agricultural area composed primarily of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and corn (Zea mays).

Western tanagers have also been observed in saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) communities and in Russian-olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) vegetation. In New Mexico, western tanagers were observed in nearly pure stands of saltcedar 10 to 23 feet (3–7 m) tall. Western tanagers were also observed in saltcedar communities during fall migration in along the Rio Grande. Ten western tanagers were observed among 3 sites composed of Russian-olive in Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. All sites were dominated by Russian-olive with cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) comprising a substantial portion of the understory. Along the Rio Grande western tanagers were most often captured during fall migration in vegetation with a Rio Grande cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. wislizenii) overstory and a moderate to dense Russian-olive understory.