Providing more variety in tanager perches.
In the last week or so I’ve posted photos of male Western Tanagers perched on an old stump, on a rock and buried in the grass. This one is perched on a spring-green aspen branch. Some of my recent photos may not have a lot of variety in bird species but at least I have variety in their perches and settings.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Last week this male was hawking insects from the aspens and he apparently chose this bare part of a branch to give him a better view of potential prey. When he looked to his right it allowed me a composition that included fresh aspen leaves that I think strengthen the image. I have photos of him looking to his left but there’s white aspen bark in that direction that I don’t like in those photos as well. The bark is just too bright.
When I zoomed in on this bird at high resolution he appears to have an insect leg and other bits of insect exoskeleton hanging off of his bill.
Of the two males I photographed in this area this is the one with significantly darker reds on his head and neck. Neither sex has any red in its plumage except during the breeding season and there’s an interesting explanation for that. Unlike other tanager species with reds in their plumage the reds of this species come from a rare plumage pigment called rhodaxanthin which Western Tanagers cannot produce themselves so it must come from an external source. That source is presumed to be the insects that are their primary diet during breeding season.
But during the nonbreeding season their diet is primarily fruits and berries that do not contain any rhodoxanthin so they lose the reds in their plumage when they molt.
So it’s my guess that the reason one of “my” males had more intense reds than the other is because that particular bird had been eating fewer insects that contained rhodoxanthin, perhaps during migration.
If my guess is incorrect I’d appreciate knowing the real explanation for variations in the intensities of reds in the plumage of adult Western Tanagers during the breeding season.
Ron
Note: The reds in other tanager species (Scarlet, Summer and Hepatic Tanagers) come from a different pigment family called 4-oxo-carotenoids.
Testing. I have tried twice to reply in here, and my comments are not showing on my end. Odd, I never had this problem before.
Well, it showed up this time. I will try again. We have House Finches. Some males have a beautiful deep red head and chest, while other males are almost a sherbet color. A friend of mine told me she read that the color can depend on what the birds eat. We serve the same seeds, so perhaps the Finches are getting a different type of seeds from nearby. Just a guess, but it is interesting. Lovely picture Ron!
It worked that time, Jean. Not sure what’s going on…
A gorgeous image of a gorgeous bird!!! Beautiful Setting, beautiful composition!!!! Right up there with painted buntings as far as glamour goes!!!
Thanks, Patty. I quite like the composition especially.
Exquisite photo and the post was fascinating – as were the comments by readers. Thanks once again!
Thank you, Joanne.
Yet another bird I am always happy to see and will never see for myself. PLUS interesting facts and knowledgeable comments. Win/win/win (at least).
Thanks, EC.
Wow, thanks for the info about the tanagers’ coloration and the wonderful, clean photo. I was thrilled to have about 3 weeks of many western tanagers at my feeders for the first time this year. There were a couple of migrating groups that got stuck here due to storms. I should look things up. I had just assumed coloration had to do with age, hormones related to sexual prowess or health, or whatever. “My” birds ranged from almost no red to red over the head and down the front. I now understand why all wanted my insect-laden suet.
Your blog is so informative and has such wonderful photol, it’s addictive!
Thank you, Nancy. People all over the intermountain west have been reporting unusually large numbers of Western Tanagers this year.
I love the pose.
Feather coloration is a fascinating subject. As you say, the source of the rhodoxanthin is by eating beetles, but not just any beetle. The beetles containing this pigment largely feed on conifer buds. It is the conifer bud, not the beetle that produces the pigment. (Similarly, flamingos are red by eating invertebrates that contain a carotenoid produced by algae eaten by the invertebrates.) Color can only get into a feather as it is growing and developing and many different factors can affect the final outcome. In the case of variations among male Western Tanagers, the variation in color can occur with changes in health during this time (poor health=less color), gene functioning, or variations in the amount of beetles available. Age can also play a role, as can hormonal levels during feather development. Older females can sometimes show a reddish bush, but not the full red head.
All bright red, orange and yellows come from plant pigments (various carotenoids) obtained in the diet. Some birds convert these to other forms of carotenoids, but the ultimate source is plants. Rusty reds, like that of a Red-tailed Hawk’s tail, are a form of melanin produced by the bird.
Fascinating stuff, Dan. Thank you.
Nifty shot, Ron. I like to think he’s saving some of that detritus for a snack later. 😉 These fellas certainly are quite the charmers!
As far as worrying about repeats, you can only post what shows up in front of your lens. And I will never tire of anything that does — especially when coolamatious facts are included! 🙂
Thanks, Marty. I’ve always liked that word “nifty”. When I was in my late teens we actually had a dog named Nifty.
Got a giggle or two imagining you going out and calling him in. 😉
One of my sisters named him. They did most of the calling…
The intense colors are spectacular!
Yes you are right about the coloration. One problem we have in rehab is a food with sufficient rhodoxanthin in it so they retain color when they molt. House and Cassin’s finches also lose their color in captivity. I know the flamingo food has the red coloration that makes the pink, I will have to check into the flamingo food to see if it would work for the tanagers.
Interesting about how it affects birds in rehab, April.
Fantastic shot Ron!
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
Sorry, you were referring to rhodoxanthins. Carotenoids are what give goldfinches their yellow color. Same principle, though, in terms of males attracting females.
What a sweet photo! Thanks again for teaching me something about birds over breakfast!
You’re very welcome, Diane.
You got me to google reasons for feather coloration. It’s a fascinating subject. So males are more colorful in order to attract females. My wife says I turn orange when I drink a lot of carrot juice. Doesn’t seem to impress her or the female tanagers.
Well, so much for that theory! 🙂
Interesting! Believe Flamingo’s color is the result of the same type of thing? Beautiful bird with a snack in it’s beak. Like the leaves in the direction it’s looking – they do add to the photo….. 🙂 Still working on yard clean up from Fri. visit of the Great White Combine…… 🙁 Some area crops flattened – don’t know about ours yet.
Geez, I don’t know how you can sleep without checking on your crops after a storm like that! We always checked our crops after a hailstorm as soon as we could get out there. Sometimes it was too muddy to get there for a day or two so maybe that’s why you haven’t done it.
Yes, flamingos get their color from pigments in their diet.
This is a very lovely photo with the very muted background. Interesting tidbit; it sounds very plausible to me…more intake thus more color. Without that red color addition, they would look like a GoldFinch on steroids minus the size of the beak. 😏 It is a different tone of red also from the ‘Scarletts’ that we get. I think the females are equally appealing with the slight ‘olivey’ color they sport. Isn’t nature wonderful!
Kathy, field guides show females of this species having smaller amounts of red at the base of their bills during breeding season but the female I photographed last week had no red at all. I presume that’s because she wasn’t eating enough of those insects containing rhodaxanthin to provide the red but that’s just another guess.
Very pretty bird and photo Ron. Thanks for sharing, but thanks mostly for the education on why plumage coloring etc. Very interesting and informative.
I’m glad you appreciated the techno-bits about tanager plumage, Everett. Thanks.