Flame-colored Tanager

The Flame-colored Tanager inhabits pine-oak mountain forest from Mexico through Central America, distinguished among red tanagers by a back that is streaked with black rather than plain, along with white wing bars on otherwise black wings. Males show a warm orange-red body color, somewhat different from the pure scarlet of Scarlet Tanager or the rosy tone of Summer Tanager, and the streaked back combined with wing bars makes this one of the more readily identifiable red tanagers within its range. Females show a corresponding pattern in orange-yellow with a similarly streaked back.

Adult male feathers show an orange-red head and underparts, with the back showing distinct blackish streaking over a duller reddish-orange base, a pattern not seen in Scarlet, Summer, or Western Tanager. The wings are black with two white wing bars, and the tail is black. This combination of a streaked back plus white wing bars on black wings is the most reliable identification feature for the species. Females show an olive to orange-yellow body with a similarly streaked back pattern and white wing bars on darker wings, echoing the male's pattern in a more muted color scheme.

Adult males maintain their orange-red, black-streaked-back plumage year-round with minimal seasonal variation, though fresh feathers after molt may appear slightly more vivid. Females retain their olive-to-orange-yellow streaked-back plumage consistently through the year. Immatures generally resemble females before males acquire adult coloration.

Flame-colored Tanagers inhabit pine-oak forest and cloud forest at middle to higher elevations from Mexico through Central America. The species is generally resident within this range, with some populations making local elevational movements rather than long-distance migration.

This species forages in the canopy and mid-story of montane forest for insects and fruit. The song is a rich, warbling phrase similar to other Piranga tanagers. Nests are cup-shaped, placed on a branch within the forest canopy. The species can occasionally hybridize with Western Tanager where their ranges come into contact in parts of Mexico, sometimes producing individuals with intermediate features.