Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus cana)
26 January 2009, Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica
This is a very common bird throughout the tropics from Mexico to Brazil. It
prefers open country and has benefited from deforestation and slash & burn
agriculture.
Males and females are similar, but females are usually slightly grayer.
This individual is probably a male. This species was introduced to Southern
Florida but after many years it ultimately failed to become established and
disappeared.
Clements 6th recognizes 13 subspecies. T. e. cana is found in Middle
America while the others are in South America and nearby islands. It
averages brighter blue cf. to other races especially on the wing coverts.
This is usually a treetop bird which favors tall fig (ficus) trees.
Panasonic Lumix LZ5 / Nikon FieldScope 3 / 30X WA hand-held (no adapter)