Crimson-collared Tanager

The Crimson-collared Tanager is a strikingly beautiful bird with bold black and red markings and a pale bill. The male and female are identical in appearance. They live in humid lowland forests. These images were captured in the rain forest at Selva Verde Lodge early on the morning of November 3rd. Crimson-collared Tanagers eat fruit and insects. Here they are feeding on bananas put out with the feeders.

Scarlet-rumped Tanager

The Scarlet-rumped Tanager is a gregarious bird that lives on the Caribbean slope of Central America, eating fruit and insects. The male is black, with a scarlet rump and back.  With the black wings parted, seen above and below, we can see the red rump and back.

Blue-gray Tanager

The Blue-gray Tanager is a bird of the humid lowland neotropics, preferring semi-open habitats and frequenting forest edges along roads and rivers in plantations and urban parks and gardens. Blue-gray Tanagers eat a variety of fruit and arthropods, and were common visitors at the Selva Verde lodge feeders while we waited for breakfast. ​

Palm Tanager

The Palm Tanager is similar to the Blue-gray Tanager, although less likely to colonize urban centers. The Palm Tanager is common at forest borders, but also inhabits the canopy of the forest interior. Their diet is balanced between fruit and arthropods. They usually travel in pairs or small groups. ​ Although the species is described as drab in appearance, the bird captured here has subtle blue and green details on the wings.

Plain-colored Tanager

The Plain-colored Tanager is perhaps the most drab of genus Tangara Tanagers, most of which have colorful, metallic and opalescent plumage (Ref: Birds of the World). The Plain-colored Tanager feeds on fruit and insects and is commonly found in the forest canopy, woodland edges, second growth and gallery forest, as well as shaded cacao plantations.

Although the Plain-colored Tanager is a Costa Rican bird, these images were captured close to sea level in the Bocas del Toro region of Panama, in the Caribbean in March of 2024. For more on that Panama trip click on this link to the first of three blog posts on Panama, Bocas del Toro, March 2024: Part 1, Mountains, or click on the image to the right of a Rufous-collared Sparrow, spotted in the mountains of Panama.

Silver-throated Tanager

Silver-throated Tanagers are brightly colored birds of the tropical evergreen forests from the lowlands to the mountains. They eat a variety of fruits as well as some insects. Little is known about their behavior, population dynamics or demography (Ref: Birds of the World).   These images were captured on November 6, 2025 at 7600 feet in the Talamanca cloud forest.

Green Honeycreeper

Green Honeycreepers are tanagers that favor the canopy of humid lowland rainforests. These images were captured on November 3rd and 4th in the Sarapiqui rainforest, our second stop on the November 2025 trip. Green Honeycreepers eat mostly fruit, but also eat small insects and nectar. This species is widespread and common in Central and South America, yet little is known about many aspects of its natural history (Ref: Birds of the World)

Red-legged Honeycreeper

Red-legged Honeycreepers eat fruit, insects and nectar. They favor flowering trees at forest edges, as well as coffee and cacao plantations. The male is a brilliant blue with a black mask, and black markings on the neck and wings. Above, two males face off showing their neck and head feathers. Below, a male perched in the Sarapiqui rainforest showing off bright blue wing markings. Males and females have bright red legs, a striking feature and an easy identifier.

Shining Honeycreeper

At first glance the Shining Honeycreeper looks like the male Red-legged, but without the blue markings on the back, and of course, with bright yellow legs!  Shining Honeycreepers favor tropical lowland evergreen forests, typically foraging in the canopy (Ref: Birds of the World)

Bananaquit

A tanager, really?  Yup - hey, what's in a name? ​Bananaquits live from Mexico and the Caribbean all the way south to Argentina. They sport a down-curved bill, black upperparts, a bright yellow breast and belly and a striking white eyebrow. The species has no less than 41 recognized subspecies with variations in throat color (white, gray or black), the white wing  spot, and the extent of yellow on the underparts. They eat nectar and fruit, favoring flowering trees and shrubs.

Blue Dacnis

The Blue Dacnis is yes, another tanager, who lives in humid lowland forests from Honduras south to Argentina. The male is a stunning bright turquoise blue with black wing and tail markings, and the female is mostly green with a blue crown. They eat nectar and insects in the tops of trees. These photographs were captured in March of 2024 on an island on the Panama Caribbean coast near Bocas del Toro.

Buff-throated Saltator

Well, here is a "true tanager" that used to be a cardinal!  The Buff-throated Saltator was traditionally grouped with cardinals and grosbeaks (gosh, he does look a bit like a grosbeak . . ) but recent research has moved the Buff-throated Saltator into the tanager family.  Buff-throated Saltators favor the edges of humid lowland forests and feed mostly on fruits, some seeds and occasional ants and wasps (Ref: Birds of the World).

Well, that's it for the "true tanagers" ! 

Here come Six Cardinal Family members - all with Tanager on their name tag!  Oh boy, family reunions are getting really confusing!

Flame-colored Tanager

Flame-colored Tanagers are members of the Cardinal family who live in the highlands of Central America with occasional visits as far north as the mountains of SE Arizona. Males are orange or red with black wings with white wing bars. Females are olive above with dusky streaks and yellow below with a wing pattern similar to the male. They eat a variety of fruits and insects in the mid-story and canopy.

Red-throated Ant-tanager

Red-throated Ant-Tanagers live in humid regions on the Atlantic side of SE Mexico, Central America and northern Columbia. They eat fruit in large quantities as well as insects, including swarms of army ants, especially in their northern range. These images were captured on November 3rd in the rain forest of Costa Rica.

Hepatic Tanager

The Hepatic Tanager lives year round from northern Mexico all the way south to Argentina, with some migration for breeding from Mexico into Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. See the range map to the right from All About Birds.  Males are brick red to red-orange brightest on the crown and throat, with dark lores, grayish ear coverts, flanks and back. Adult females are olive-yellow to orange-yellow on the forecrown, throat and underparts.  ​ They eat insects and fruit.

Scarlet Tanager

Scarlet Tanagers are long range migrants, wintering in South America and breeding in the northern U.S. and Canada. The photographs shown here were all captured during their northern migration. The images above and below were taken in NW Ohio on the shore of Lake Erie in May of 2022, the third photo below was taken at High Island on the Bolivar Peninsula in SE Texas in April of 2019.   Scarlet Tanagers eat a variety of insects during their breeding season. During migration and on their winter range they eat fruit as well as insects.

Source: Birds of the World

Summer Tanager

Summer Tanagers winter from southern Mexico to South America, and breed across northern Mexico and the U.S. This species is known for eating bees and wasps on wintering and breeding grounds, as well as fruit. Males are bright rosy-red, females yellow to mustard yellow.  The image above was captured at the Paton Center in Patagonia, AZ, in August of 2025. This is a male that appears to be molting  following breeding earlier in the summer. The image below was captured at Cave Creek Canyon in April of 2021. If you ever wondered why Arizona birding festivals are in the heat of the summer, breeding is the reason. A number of tropical species will come north to the U.S. just for breeding, then return south.

Source: Birds of the World

Western Tanager

Western Tanagers winter as far south as Central America, and breed north in the western U.S. and Canada as far north as 60 degrees, where they may spend as little as two months on their breeding grounds. Although the male is strikingly bright, the species favors forest shade, generally keeping the bird out of sight. The image above was a rare sighting on the Meadow Trail on Mt Lemmon in June of 2025. Below we see a female perched on a railing in Summerhaven in June of 2013. The Western Tanager feeds on insects during the breeding season, adding fruits and berries other times of year.

Yellow-throated Euphonia

Why this species here? Well, the Yellow-throated Euphonia is another former Tanager who got reassigned, not to the Cardinal family, but to its own Family, Fringillidae, Genus Euphonia. Here we see a male with a short bill, stubby tail, bluish/black above and yellow below. The female is yellow or yellowish green.  (Ref: Birds of the World).

White-necked Jacobin

White-necked Jacobins live year round in the humid forest canopies and second growth forests of Central and South America, see the ebird range map to the right. They feed on nectar and small arthropods, and are aggressive toward other species and territorial with each other around flowers and feeders. In Costa Rica they breed from January to June.​ (Ref: Birds of the World).

Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer

The Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer is widespread throughout Central America and parts of Columbia. The subspecies found in Costa Rica, seen here, does not have a bronze tail, although it retains the distinctive red feet of the rest of the species.  Bronze-tailed Plumeleteers prefer the understory and middle levels of wet forest edges feeding on flowers as well as flying insects. They are aggressive around flowers and will often defend territories to protect their food sources. (Ref: Birds of the World).

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is a medium sized hummingbird with a rufous-colored tail and bright pink/red bill. The Rufous-tailed feeds on nectar and small insects and is highly territorial over feeding sites. It prefers the lower understory and is one of the most common hummers at gardens and cultivated areas at the forest edge, from Mexico to Columbia. See the range map to the right. (Ref: Birds of the World).

White-throated Mountain Gem

​The White-throated Mountain-gem is endemic to the mountains of Costa Rica and Panama. Within this small range there are two subspecies, one in Costa Rica and one in Panama. The male Costa Rican L.c. cinereicauda, seen here, has a gray tail, whereas the male nominate of western Panama has a dark green tail with a bluish-black subterminal band. (Ref: Birds of the World).

​Fiery-throated Hummingbird

The Fiery-throated Hummingbird lives in the cloud forests of Costa Rica and Panama, defending patches of flowers and generally showing dominance over other hummingbird species in its range.  The Fiery-throated is covered with a mixture of blue, green, and yellow feathers, with a dark throat patch that turns brilliant red at the correct angle, due to the feather surface structure,  hence the bird's name, Fiery-throated. (Ref: Birds of the World).

Lesser Violetear

The Lesser Violetear lives in mountain forests from Costa Rica to Boliva. See the ebird map to the right.   The Lesser Violetear is glittering green overall with a patch of violet feathers on the sides of the head, hench the name "violet tear."   Their overall color varies with the light, with a fascinating feather coloration on the throat that at certain angles looks like a knitted sweater.

Purple-throated Mountain Gem

The Purple-throated Mountain Gem sports iridescent green contour feathers with a white stripe behind the eye. The female (shown here) has pale rufous underparts. The male is primarily green with a purple gorget. They live in the cloud forests of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, feeding on nectar supplemented with insects.  For a photograph of the male, which I did not capture on this trip, click this link, Purple-throated Mountain Gem. ​

Range map, Purple-throated Mountain Gem. Ref: eBird.

Volcano Hummingbird

The Volcano Hummingbird is among the smallest birds in the world, weighing in at 2-3 grams. Its Spanish name is Chispita, meaning "little spark." Above is a male with a brilliant purple gorget that varies from shades of purple to red depending on the subspecies. Below and following is a female with dark spotting on the throat. The Volcano lives in the highlands of Costa Rica and Panama, above ~6000 feet. (Ref: Birds of the World).

For the bird and photo geeks: The male captured above is feeding at small garden flowers typical for the species and its small size. The female below was photographed at at an excellent cafe and preserve where the highly attentive staff had picked flowers and hung them on the upper deck to attract the birds. As the nectar would deplete, the staff would spray the flowers with more sugar-water. The female Volcano below is feeding off of a large flower in large part because it was dripping with sugar!  ​

Our location at the yellow square on the map.

Talamanca Hummingbird

If this bird looks familiar to birders in SE Arizona, it is for a good reason. In 2017 the Magnificent Hummingbird, who lived in a range from Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona down to Costa Rica was split into two separate species, the Rivoli's to the north, (including Mt. Lemmon), and the Talamanca to the south, in the mountains of the same name in Costa Rica and western Panama.

To the right is a ebird range map for the Rivoli's.

Violet Sabrewing

The Violet Sabrewing lives in mountain forests from southern Mexico south to western Panama, frequenting second growth forests, forest edges, banana plantations and flower gardens. These photographs were captured at the Nest Nature Center in Costa Rica, which is in the foothills at ~1600 feet.

In Closing . . . . . .

My first post on Costa Rica was on November 20th, on the Resplendent Quetzal, titled Just in from Costa Rica: The Resplendent Quetzal!  This post is on Cano Negro, a preserve at the far northern reaches of Costa Rica in low wetlands very close to the border with Nicaragua.  See the map of Costa Rica to the right, with the red pin at Cano Negro.

Sungrebe

Sungrebes are very interesting birds.* First, they are not grebes, but finfoots, genetically closer to rails than to grebes. They are in the order Guiformes, family Heliornithidae, consisting of only three species, the African Finfoot, the Masked Finfoot (Asian, and endangered) and the Sungrebe, native to Central and South America, range map to the right.

Anhinga

Anhingas (the species) are members of the family Anhingidae, one of four families in the Order Suliformes, which includes frigatebirds, boobies, gannets, and cormorants. Note that the word "Anhinga" designates both the species described here as well as the genus it belongs to, which includes three other species, the African Darter, Oriental Darter, and the Australasian Darter.  ​Anhingas, like cormorants, swim and dive to catch fish, and like cormorants have feathers that do not repel water, making diving easier, but requiring time out of water to air dry before they can fly.

Northern Jacana

The Northern Jacana is in the order Charadriiformes, a large and diverse order known by the collective name "shorebirds", which includes plovers, oystercatchers, stilts, avocets, sandpipers, gulls, terns, skimmers, and jacanas! They are known for their long toes allowing them to walk on surface vegetation. This gives the appearance of walking on water, leading to the nickname "Jesus bird."

Southern Lapwing

Southern Lapwings are in the plover family, living year round (non-migratory) from Central America all the way to the southern tip of South America. They live on grasslands and pastures, feeding on insects, small fish and aquatic invertebrates.  Here we see a Southern Lapwing on grasslands adjacent to the river. They are striking birds, with a gray back and neck and a black chest patch that extends up the neck to the forehead. They have a long narrow crest, and like jacanas, a spur on each wing for defense. They breed during the rainy season, April to October, and within a day the chicks are out of the nest and feeding on their own. On this day we did not see any chicks.

Black-collared Hawk

Late afternoon on the river, we spotted this Black-collared Hawk, first perched, then in flight, probably looking for dinner. Black-collared Hawks eat fish with an occasional lizard or rodent, but not other birds. They live near or on fresh or brackish water from southern Mexico into South America. See the eBird range map to the right. Black-collared Hawks sport a black bib, rufous feathers, and a very short tail.

Finally, for this season, the Kingfishers Three . . . .

​Amazon Kingfisher

Amazon Kingfishers are dark birds with a white collar and belly. The males sport a rufous breast, the females have a narrower green breast band. They live along lakeshores and slow moving rivers from Mexico to Argentina. See the range map to the right.  ​Amazon Kingfishers eat fish and crustaceans, hunting from a perch over the water. They grab their prey, smack it on the perch, and swallow it head first. As we can see in the images above and below, the bill is large and spear-like.

​American Pygmy Kingfisher

The American Pygmy Kingfisher lives in tropical lowlands along quiet streams and swampy areas of lakes. Their hunting style is to perch low and stay concealed, diving for fish, tadpoles and small frogs.  These kingfishers are very small as their name suggests. Here we see a male with a dark head and wings and rufous collar, throat and flanks. The female has a dark green breastband with white tips to the feathers (Ref: Birds of the World).

Green Kingfisher

The Green kingfisher is slightly larger than the American Pygmy Kingfisher, but smaller than the Belted Kingfisher and the Ringed Kingfisher.  The female (seen here) has a white collar, buffy thoat and breast with speckled green bands across the breast and uppermost belly. The male has a rufous breast.  Like other kingfishers they hunt from a perch where they can see prey in the water. They eat primarily small fish.

Least Grebe   (Caution: RARE BIRD ALERT!)

The Least Grebe, like its cousin the Pied-billed Grebe, is a small duck-like water bird that lives on fresh and brackish water ranging from the Rio Grande Valley in Southern Texas all the way into South America. See the range map to the right. Least Grebes live year round within their range, so it is unusual to see one in Arizona, although as one might expect, eBird has sightings in Arizona, where it is considered a "causal resident", present intermittently throughout the year. This solitary Least Grebe has been sighted at El Rio Preserve repeatedly in September and October.  See the eBird range map below for the Least Grebe sightings in our area.

Pied-billed Grebe

As noted above, Pied-billed Grebes are larger than the Least, and very common in SE Arizona. Above, two Pied-billed's at El Rio, and to the right the Pied-billed range map. The Pied-billed Grebe has an extensive range, living year round in most locations, but with some populations migrating to the northern U.S. and into Canada for summer breeding.

Pied-billed Grebes eat crustaceans, small fish, and whatever is available, including frogs!  To the right we see a Pied-billed Grebe downing a frog at Sweetwater Wetlands in January of 2016. Yes, he did manage to swallow the whole frog, head first! For more, see the post "Grebe eats frog!", or "I can't believe he ate the whole thing!"

Clark's Grebe

This Clark's Grebe was spotted at Patagonia Lake State Park in March of 2019. The bird was on the far side of the lake with a lot of moist air between us, creating a slightly fuzzy image in spite of good focus and low ISO.  Clark's Grebes live year round in Mexico, with populations migrating north to the western U.S. and into Canada. They frequent lakes and coastlines. See the range map to the right. This bird may have been migrating north for breeding at the time of the photograph.

Eared Grebe

The Eared Grebe has a thin bill and a bright red eye, seen here in non-breeding plumage. The  grebe pictured here was spotted at White Water Draw in December 2019.  ​ ​Eared Grebes breed in colonies in shallow wetlands in the western U.S. and Canada.  In the fall, after breeding, they head by the hundreds and thousands to salty inland waters, especially Mono Lake in California and the Great Salt Lake in Utah to stuff themselves with brine shrimp before heading farther south for the winter. This coincides with their fall molt providing the high calorie intake required for new feather growth.   ​Range map is to the right.

Let's Wrap-up with Three Warblers and a Chat . . . .

Common Yellowthroat

The male Common Yellowthroat with his bright yellow duds and black mask looks like a mysterious highwayman, but rest assured, he is only after insects and spiders from the local leaves and branches! ​The Common Yellowthroat favors the edges of marshes and wetlands, breeding throughout the northern U.S. and Canada, wintering in Mexico with year round populations in Florida and the SE U.S.  The adult male above was spotted at El Rio on September 21st at 7:30 am, with just enough morning sun to catch a light on the eye and create a subtle shadow on the breast.

Yellow Warbler, Immature Male

Jeff as always came through and told me that this looks like an immature Yellow Warbler. A Nashville would show more gray on the head, and the Tennesee and Orange-crowned would show an eye line. Young Yellow Warblers often have a more distinct eye ring than adults because the yellow is not as brilliant.   Yellow Warblers are insectivores who winter in Central and South America and breed all the way from Mexico to Alaska, coast to coast! See the range map to the right. The birds pictured here are likely on their way south for the winter following the food!

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Our third warbler for the day is the Yellow-rumped Warbler, Audubon's. They have a yellow rump ("butter butt"), a yellow patch on the throat, and yellow patches ("pits") under the wings.  Yellow-rumped Warblers have a wide range, living from the Pacific to the Atlantic and Caribbean, breeding as far north as Alaska, and wintering into Central America. They eat a wide variety of insects during the summer, as well as fruits during the winter. Unlike most warbers, their digestive tracts are capable of digesting fruit, which allows a wider range especially further north in the winter.

And Finally, a Yellow-breasted Chat!

For years the Yellow-breasted Chat was in the warbler family, Parulidae, but in 2017 it was given its own family, Icteriidae based in part on its large size and complex and varied vocalizations. Although wide-spread, it is generally only seen in the spring when singing, and is otherwise skulking in the shadows of dense thickets and therefore tough to spot. I spotted this bird briefly, and only once, at sunrise, 6:30 am, on September 21st, and in the shade! Once the sun was up, he was gone!

An American Kestrel Grabs Some Take-out . . .

A Black-necked Stilt Swallows Them Whole . . . .

From 2016, a Pied-billed Grebe downs a bullfrog at ​Sweetwater Wetlands.  "Grebe eats frog!"  or "I can't believe he ate the whole thing!"

And, a Vermilion Flycatcher Ponders His Meal . . . .

More on Anna's Hummingbirds and Their Dietary Needs . . . 

Anna's Hummingbirds live year round on the Pacific Coast from Baja to Canada, including southern Arizona. See the range map to the right. To see a recent post on Anna's, including feeding at flowers in Tucson, see Anna's Hummingbirds in the Valley, or click on the photograph above. Anna's Hummingbirds have been extensively researched. For an excellent list and description of all prior research, see Birds of the World (subscription required).  Of interest, observational research in the 1970's showed that male Anna's spent ~10% of their daylight hours feeding on nectar, and ~1% feeding on insects.

American Goshawk

SE Arizona is in the American Goshawk's territory, but we are unlikely to spot them often given their aversion for people. Mating pairs in the west will build nests high in the largest trees, usually firs or pines. Clutch size is 2-4 eggs.  The American Goshawk is in the Order Accipitriformes along with ospreys, hawks, eagles, kites, and vultures.

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawks live throughout North America and into  Central America. Unlike Goshawks, Cooper's are comfortable around people, and often nest in trees in close proximity to houses. They are skillful in the air, chasing birds or making tight turns around buildings to attack a back-yard feeders, often forcing prey into windows.  The photograph above was captured at Whitewater Draw in McNeal, Arizona, in December of 2015, the image below at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson in January of 2021.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawks are the smallest of the accipiters we see in the U.S. Their flying and hunting behavior is similar to the Goshawk and Cooper's, employing flap and glide technique with tight turns to catch birds in flight, usually the size of an American Robin or smaller. They breed in Canada, building a broad flat nest high in conifers, and winter to the south, although there are many regions with year round populations. See the range map to the right. In SE Arizona we will see them during the winter, but being close to year round populations we may see them during the summer breeding season as well.

Virginia's Warbler

Virginia's Warblers winter in southern Mexico and breed in the forests of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. They are ground nesters, favoring steep slopes below clumps of vegetation. (Ref: All About Birds) .  Virginia's Warblers eat insects, favoring caterpillars, spiders, ants, weevils, stinkbugs and flying insects.  In the images here we see a Virginia's Warbler looking for breakfast in the understory adjacent to Sabino Canyon Parkway in Summerhaven.   ​

Western Bluebird

Spring Nesting 2023, Part 2: At 9000 feet  dead trees make great homes!

Western Bluebirds in the Desert: Peace, Hope and Happiness for 2025! ​

Western Flycatcher, AKA Cordilleran . . 

In 1989, the Western Flycatcher was split into two separate species, the Pacific Slope and the Cordilleran. So, for the past 30 years we have been seeing the Cordilleran Flycatcher, considered the mountain cousin of the Pacific Slope, nesting in Summerhaven. However, in 2023, the two species were reunited (if they had a party, I was not invited!) as the Western Flycatcher. So, all you Cordilleran fans are now looking at, and loving, Western Flycatchers. Yahoo !

In 2019, Dr. Charles Van Riper III moved his summer research on the Cordilleran Flycatcher (COFL) from Colorado to Mt. Lemmon. He worked with Dr. Harold F. Greeney, the two of them shown at the right taking a break from banding and tracking COFL's in Summerhaven in 2019. ​Unfortunately we lost Charles this past winter after a short illness. Everyone here on the mountain who were part of his "COFL Network" miss him dearly. Summer on the mountain does not seem right without him.

Nesting on Mt Lemmon, 2019 ​

Mixed Nuthatches: Red, White, Brown, and  Oh, Yes, the Tiny Ones, Pygmy!

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatches live in the north woods and western mountains, living year round or migrating short distances. They are one of what is known as irruptive species, those that move outside their usual range in great numbers in years when local food  is scarce. Red-breasted Nuthatches eat insects during summer breeding, but switch to conifer seeds in the fall and winter. In years with low cone production they will move outside their usual range looking for seeds. This accounts for the very wide area of non-breeding regions on the range map to the right.

In May of 2023, with a lot of help from birding buddies Marty and Jim Herde, I was able to spot and capture a male Red-breasted Nuthatch digging a nest in a dead tree near the Mt Lemmon SkyCenter.  The males will often dig out up to 4 nests, and let their mate pick the nest she wants!  In this case, the female passed on this nest, which was then occupied by a pair of Pygmy Nuthatches a few weeks later. (More on this as the post progresses, keep reading!)

Next, White, Brown, and Pygmy! 

White-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatches eat mainly insects, as well as seeds and nuts. The species gets its "nuthatch" name from gathering large nuts that are too big to eat, then jamming them into tree bark, and "hatching" out the insides for consumption. They are black, gray and white, with a white breast that extends above the eye. The black cap is grayer in the female.   ​

Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatches are the southern cousins of the other three, social birds traveling in noisy family groups throughout the southeast. See the range map to the right. They make their year round home in pine forests, eating insects and nesting in dead trees. Like other nuthatches, in cold months they will eat seeds mostly from pine cones. ​They have a brown cap, blue-gray back, and whitish underparts.

And, Finally, Pygmy Nuthatches! 

Pygmy Nuthatches live year round in long-needled pine forests, primarily ponderosa pines, in the western U.S. They are cavity nesters, usually breeding in large groups in forests not affected by logging or dead wood removal. They are one of the few songbirds in North America that breed cooperatively, with a third of breeding pairs having 1-3 male helpers, often progeny or other relatives. During the winter, family groups will flock with other family groups, with up to 150 birds roosting together in one cavity in formations of squares, oblongs, triangles, diamonds, wedges, and tiers.

Pygmy Nuthatch vs. Black-headed Grosbeak, "mano-a-mano."

In Closing, a Western Tanager at 9,150 feet! 

This Western Tanager was greeting the morning sun on a pine branch on the Meadow Trail, close to the Sky Center on June 29th.*  ​Western Tanagers winter in Mexico and Central America and summer on their breeding territories from the Rocky Mountains west to the Pacific Coast and north into Canada, all the way up to Alaska. SE Arizona is in the very southern portion of their breeding range, and I would guess a lot warmer than Alaska!  *My thanks to Jim Herde for spotting this male.

Hepatic Tanager: Winters from Mexico to South America, breeds in Arizona and New Mexico. A regular at the feeders in Madera Canyon. Photograph to the right, Madera Canyon, February 2022.

Summer Tanager: Winters from Mexico to South America, breeds in the U.S. from the Carolinas to SE California, including southern Arizona. Photograph to the right, Cave Creek Canyon, Portal, AZ, April 2021.

Scarlet Tanager: Winters in South America, breeds in the NE U.S. from Minnesota to Maine and into Canada. Not a regular in SE Arizona, although ebird reports sightings scattered throughout the western states, including the Tucson area.  Photograph to the right, Northwest Ohio during spring migration, May 2022.

​Flame-colored Tanager:  A  year round resident of the mountain forests of Mexico and Central America. eBird reports sightings in SE Arizona in Sierra Vista as well as Portal. I spotted one in the mountains of Panama in March of 2024.​ Photograph to the right, Panama, March 2024.