We were at Madera Kubo enjoying the hospitality of Cora Lansky. Cora, a Filipina married to a retired U.S. Navy man, owns this beautiful B & B in Southeastern Arizona. Cora was telling us about the birds that frequently visit the feeders that she placed around their inn. “We have a Flame-colored Tanager that comes to the feeder everyday”, she told us. My wife and I almost fell from our seats as we implored her to show us this rarity. Cora took us to feeders at the side of their building where a tiny stream flows. “There!” she smiled as she pointed to the bright orange bird.
Flame-colored Tanagers are rare visitors to Southeast Arizona and Southwestern Texas. These are tropical birds that ranges from Mexico to Panama. Like the other species in the Tanager family, they are brightly-colored birds that prefer pine oak and conifer forests.
Flame-colored Tanager – Piranga bidentata
Madera Canyon, Arizona
July 4, 2008
Canon 40D, 500mm+1.4X (700mm) on a tripod
ISO-1600, 1/500, f8
Ornithographer's Images 