Summer Tanager

Summer Tanager
Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA
July 2017
Member of the Cardinal Family
§A Season of Tanagers§
★North America's Only Completely Red Bird★ ...I guess that's something?

~true bird fact~ So you might've noticed above that this bird is called a Tanager, but is grouped taxonomically with Cardinals. So what's the deal with that? Basically there was a switch in families back in 2009, when scientists realized that he and his immediate family members had more in common with Cardinals than their previous categorization. Oddly, this means that Hawaii has a few birds that are called Cardinals, but are actually Tanagers, and the mainland has a few birds that are called Tanagers, but are actually Cardinals. This indicates to me that no one has any idea what they're doing wrt Cardinals and Tanagers, and maybe just generally.

~a second true bird fact~ Really good at eating bees and wasps and other dangerous insects. Summer Tanager can catch these guys mid air and then strike them against a tree to kill them. Then, before they can eat them, they dexterously remove the stinger by rubbing it against a branch. They're so good at hunting wasps that they can kill all the adults in a hive, then tear it open to eat the larvae as well. Brutal.

Has a good grasp on esoteric bureaucratic procedures
A manager
Spring is his favorite season

Saffron Finch

Saffron Finch aka. Yellow Finch aka. Pelzeln's Finch aka. canario de tejado (lit. Roof Canary) aka. canário da terra (lit. Native Canary)
Kahaluu Beach Park, Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i, USA
December 2015
Member of the Tanager Family
§A Trembling of Finches§ (so once again, are they finches or are they tanagers or are they canaries or what? I did my research, and the most recent information seems to suggest they're now categorized as tanagers, although they were once considered to be sparrows, and still often get called canaries or finches. If you think this is confusing, you should try reading these wikipedia pages)

~true, sad bird fact~ One of the all-too-many animals that humans make fight each other for entertainment. Saffron Finches were originally taken as pets for their pleasant song and appearance, but male finches become very territorial during mating season, leading garbage people to put them in a cage together to fight. Way to go, humans.

~another bird fact, to cheer you up~ Saffron Finches are polygamous, with males taking two (and only two) partners during nesting season.

female

does whatever she wants; she's a grown woman
shows a lot of swagger and self confidence in her physical movement
has lived through many hardships

male

boundless energy which is spent on a variety of projects and hobbies of varying levels of importance
laughs easily, enjoys life
not a good judge of the safety or sensibility of an idea. Tends to charge in head-first

Hawaii's Cardinals

Cardinal A

Cardinal B 

Welcome back to 2 Different Birds, the popular feature in which we help you step up your amateur birding game by explaining how to tell the difference between two different birds. In this case, I feel like the name is going to give away a lot, so I'll hold off on that for a minute. Today's subjects are a pair of non-native Hawaiian birds with a lot in common. First, they're both called Cardinals, and neither of them actually are (although you can see why someone thought maybe they were). They're tanagers native to South America. The most striking similarity is their distinct coloration pattern, but their shape, size, habitats, and behavior are all pretty much right in line. So what do you think, dear reader, how would you tell these birds apart. I'll give you a minute to think about it...















Have you thought about it? I know you have, I trust you. We here at Amateurnithologist all trust you. You might be thinking that it's that crest, right? The mohawk-style hairdo that only one of these birds appears to be rocking. You would be mostly correct, but actually this crest is not always on display. What else do you have? A minor difference that could help is in the coloration- the dark wings of Cardinal A are darker, almost black, while Cardinal B's dark wings are more of a grey color. There's also a dark triangle on the chest of Cardinal A, where Cardinal B continues to be red there. If you're a longtime Amateurnithologist reader, familiar with our motto "Always get Light on the Feet" you might have already stumbled upon an even more obvious difference. Cardinal A has yellow legs, Cardinal B, grey. Finally, and most helpfully is that beak. Cardinal A has a bright yellow one, and Cardinal B is again, you guessed it, grey. So how did you do, reader? Did you win the game? As always on 2DB, the lesson here is one that can be generalized for even greater bird learning. Pay attention to beaks, as well as legs, because those things are specific colors. Let's close by learning a few things about our Two Different Birds.

Cardinal B is...

Red-crested Cardinal aka. Brazilian Cardinal

Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i, Hawai'i, USA
December 2015
Member of the Tanager Family
§A Season of Tanagers§

~true bird fact~ Introduced to Hawaii in 1928.

Always willing to fight for what he believes in. Like, physically fight. Just likes to fight, really
Not one to let others get in the way of his personal relaxation time
A philanderer

While Cardinal A is revealed to be...

Yellow-billed Cardinal
Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i, Hawai'i, USA
December 2015
Member of the Tanager Family
§A College of Cardinals§

~true bird fact~ A popular caged-bird throughout South America, their population on Hawaii was probably established by escaped pets.

Prim and proper, good manners
Resents being associated with cardinals, who he sees himself as better than
Highly alert to his surroundings

Western Tanager

Western Tanager
Kings Beach, Lake Tahoe, California, USA
June 2015
Member of the Tanager Family
§A Season of Tanagers§
★The Northernmost Occurring Tanager (usually a tropical bird)★

{Etymology Corner} The word Tanager (and thus our concept of the family of birds) originates from the native peoples of Brazil, the Tupi, before colonial contact.

 ~true bird fact~ Unlike many members of his colorful family, his bright red color is not internally produced. Rather, like flamingos and spoonbills, he gets it from the food he eats (bugs) (gross).

Has an easy self confidence that leads to social success
Fond of wacky affectations. A "crazy guy"
Popular conversation topics include drug adventures and romantic conquests. Off-color jokes are frequent
Will suddenly turn into a successful business man at some point