English and Scientific names:

Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)

 

Number of individuals: 

1 adult female

 

Locality: LOUISIANA: 

Cameron

 

Specific Locality:

Sabine NWR Wetland Walkway

 

Date(s) when observed:

May 2, 2010

 

Time(s) of day when observed:  

1:40 PM

 

Reporting observer and address:

Jeffrey W. Harris
Baton Rouge, LA 70806

 

Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):

Jacob Saucier

 

Other observers who independently identified the bird(s)

 

Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):

bright and sunny, but bird stayed in shadows of mulberry trees

 

Optical equipment: 

8 x 42 binocular, Alpen. Good

 

Distance to bird(s): 

25-30 feet

 

Duration of observation:

several times for 1-2 minutes each observation.

 

Habitat: 

Row of mulberry trees on a high spot along open freshwater marsh.

Behavior of bird: 

The first view of the bird was an unobstructed view of a perched tanager at the top of dead limbs without leaves.  The heavy bill was obvious and so were the wing bars.  The bird flew to cover among the leaves before it could be videotaped.  I chased it up and down the row of mulberry trees before finally settling on videotaping it as it ate berries in the shadows.

 

Description:

The bird seemed to be a dingy-yellowish green color, and the wing bars were prominent and seemed to be mostly white.  I focused my attention on the bill to be sure that it was thicker than the many orioles that were sharing the same trees.  The bill seemed thick and yellowish green.  Because of the wing bars, I knew it must be a Western Tanager.

 

Voice:

no vocalization.

 

Similar species:

 

There were some Summer Tanagers in the same trees, but no Scarlet Tanagers on this occasion.  Anyway, the wing bars eliminated the other two species.

 

Photographs or tape recordings obtained?

Videotape by Jeff Harris.

 

Previous experience with this species: 

I had seen only a single male and a single female prior to this observation.

Identification aids:

Sibley and Peterson field guides.

 

This description is written from: 

Memory

Are you positive of your identification? If not, explain: 

 

Yes

 

Date and time: 

May 3, 2010; 10:00 PM