Flame-colored Tanager (Piranga bidentata citrea)
28 January 2009, Savegre Mountain Hotel, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica
This colorful member of the Piranga genus shares the fate of the North
American tanagers in being reclassified as Cardinal/Grosbeaks
(Cardinalidae), not true tanagers (Thraupidae).
The scientific name P. bidentata, comes from the projecting "teeth" on the
cutting edge of the maxilla. This is an adult male with overall orange-red
coloration. The females are yellowish. Some authors call this bird the
Streak-backed Tanager.
Four races are recognized. This is the southernmost P. b. citrea which is
confined to the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama. It averages
deeper red, less orange, than the more northerly races which occur up
through Mexico and occasionally to Arizona. It takes males two years to
develop full breeding plumage.
This persistent individual kept returning to the railing outside the
windows of the hotel bar after attacking its reflection in the window.
Panasonic DMC-LZ5 / Nikon FieldScope 3 / 30X WA hand-held (no adapter)