Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Is this a Western Tanager?

Yesterday in the garden I had my camera out while photographing something entirely different, when this bird suddenly flitted into view. I started snapping photos right away.


The bird lingered for just a few seconds, then flew away.


I'm at a loss what kind of bird it is. In comparing illustrations in my bird book, it looks like a female Western Tanager.



(Note how it says "Our only tanager with wing-bars.) I've never seen a Tanager around here before, but that certainly doesn't mean they're not in the area. Their habitat description fits our area perfectly, so it wouldn't surprise me.



So, all you bird experts out there, can you confirm what kind of bird this is?

8 comments:

  1. It looks like it's an American goldfinch.

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  2. Looks correct, put out some fruit like bits of oranges and the like, and pray that a male shows up. They look like they belong in the tropics. They always come here when the Cascara berries are ripe.

    b g

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  3. This definitely is a female Western Tanager. I've had both the male and female visit our suet cakes this year which is a first. I live in western WA on ten acres with woods around. They also like cherries.

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  4. I live in the mountains of southern Colorado. We get Western Tanagers [and that's one] in quantity as they pass through in the Spring, and they like suet/seed cakes. This year, we had a cold snap, so they hung around our yard for about a week and a half instead of a few days. Also get Evening Grosbeaks about the same time.

    Subotai Bahadur

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  5. Congratulations on a new bird! Looks to me like it matches the book.
    Maybe she will come back again.

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  6. looks like a teenager tanager to me

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  7. About the best online bird information is here,
    https://www.allaboutbirds.org

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  8. We've been seeing these around our place N.W. of you...yellow and orange ones! Fast little critters!

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