Male Tanager perched at the top |
Western Tanager Male |
The Western Tanager prefers the very tops of the trees to forage and nest in. This means they are not always seen. I was lucky that this one decided to come down to the lower levels for me to notice and photograph.
The Western Tanager has striking marking of red, yellow and black. The red covers the head and face of the male. The yellow graces their nape, underparts, shoulders, and rump. His wings are black with two very bright wing bars.
This is a bird of coniferous or mixed forest, ranging from the Mexican US border, through Canada, and all the way to southern Alaska. They winter from central Mexico to Costa Rica, and sometimes southern California. When they migrate it is either on their own, or in groups of about thirty individuals.
Tanager Male foraging |
Western Tanager Female |
Enjoy,
Susan
No comments:
Post a Comment