Flutist's Field Guide to the Western Tanager

The Flutist's Field Guide to the Western Tanager
by Greg Bartholomew
for solo flute
Published by Art of Sound Music
Duration: ca. 2 minutes

For Nina Assimakopoulos

The Flutist's Field Guide to the Western Tanager is based on the song of the Western Tanager, which may be heard on the birdweb.net website.

The Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana), is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family, it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family. The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family. The song of disconnected short phrases suggests an American Robin's but is hoarser and, some say, rather monotonous. The call is described as “pit-er-ick.”The Western Tanagers are distinctive summer visitors to Washington State and are the only tanagers found regularly in Washington. Their bills are of medium thickness, thinner than those of seed-eaters and thicker than those of insectivores. Adult males are bright yellow and black, with orange-red heads. It would be difficult to mistake an adult male for any other bird in Washington. .