more on Western Tanager

Rob Hilton (robert@csa.com)
Fri, 09 Oct 1998 17:32:12 -0400 

David Abbott asked me to post this to MDOsprey.  

I didn't have a chance today to compare Kurt Gaskill's notes against either
the Howell and Webb Mexican field guide or Pyle's Identification Guide to
North American birds.  

However, I did notice that Howell and Webb list the lengths of Scarlet
Tanager as 6.5-7 inches, Western Tanager as 6.5-7.2 inches, and Summer
Tanager as 6.5-8 inches.  While Pyle says Western is smaller than other
North American tanagers he gives these lengths for wings and tail: Western
Tanager wing chord (from the "wrist" to the wing tip) 85-97 millimeters,
tail 64-73 mm; Scarlet wing chord 86-101 mm, tail 62-72 mm; Summer Tanager
wing chord 86-107 mm, tail 63-88 mm.  I don't know what to make of the
differences between the two references as regards length of Scarlet and
Western Tanager.  

I strongly urge anybody who sees this bird to write a description of what
you see and send it to the Virginia Avian Records Committee.  

Best, 

Rob Hilton
robert@csa.com
Bethesda by day

>Hi,
>
>I don't subscribe to MD OSPREY.  Would you please pass this on?  Thanks. 
>David
>
>From the notes I've seen on the putative Western Tanager at Riverbend, I
>will just say this.  I see nothing to indicate the bird was even a tanager,
>much less eliminating warbler, oriole, etc.  Not to say that it wasn't a
>tanager but this type of obvious (to the observer) notation helps the rest
>of us handicapped by not being present.  Further, I suspect the "lime
>green" mantle and scapulars do more to eliminate Western than help the
>cause.  Westerns typically have a olive-gray saddle that encompasses the
>wings and sets off the pale yellow rump and nape.  Wingbars are usually two
>distinct colors: upper yellow, lower paler and whiter.  I often use the
>green back and yellow rump contrast to identify Scarlets in the fall.  The
>pure white underparts are difficult to incorporate into a Western claim as
>well.  Western is small.  Although I find the Baltimore Oriole difficult to
>confuse because it is long with long tail, I have in the past checked
>reports of Western Tanagers in northern VA only to have them be Baltimores.
>
>Having said that, if you believe the report accurate and the documentation
>complete I would encourage it submitted to VARCOM....
>
>Best birding!
>
>David Abbott
>Ashburn VA
>dfabbott@compuserve.com





Rob (Robert) Hilton--robert@csa.com--Bethesda, Maryland, USA

Lal Waterson 1943-1998
"and you wonder why when your heart has died that your feet go stumbling on"