BACKYARD BIRDING

LUNA LOISEAU-TREMBLAY

AS THE AIR IS FILLED with the smell of wild roses, the increase in birdsong is obvious and many of us have our eyes on bird feeders and in our binoculars. The migration of birds headed north starts in early February and peaks between the last week of April to the middle of May, making this month a busy one for bird migration. The flowering times of certain native plants coincides with the incoming migration of bird species, such as the arrival of the Rufous Hummingbird with the blooms of salmonberry and flowering red currant.

Arriving in late April, the Western Tanager, Piranga ludoviciana is a medium sized songbird in the cardinal family, which spends its winters as far south as Central America but migrates north to breed in northwestern North America. While we have about five species of tanagers in Canada, the western tanager migrates the furthest north. Often mistaken for a parrot, the male western tanager has a bright red face, pale bill, a yellow shoulder, neck, rump and nape, with black back ,wings and tail, and two white wing bars. The female appears more dull in colouration, with a pale yellow head, olive back, a dark tail and wings with white wing bars. The impressive red feathers on the face of the male is actually due to a rare pigment called rhodoxanthin, which is thought to come from its diet of certain insects, coinciding with mating time to attract the females. When the salmon berries ripen, western tanagers can often be seen picking the fruits off the bushes but they spend most of their time high up in the canopy of mixed coniferous and deciduous forests on our coast. This species often goes about its business quietly but once they've established their breeding areas, they can be heard singing loudly.

While the western tanager may eat fruit, when breeding and staking out territory in the forest they forage mainly on insects, either hovering and eating them out of the air, or looking amongst the foliage to find caterpillars and other species. Males are very territorial of their breeding area and will spend long periods of time singing and in elaborate displays that may be associated with attracting females. Nest building is done by the more dull coloured females, with room for three to five eggs.

An easy way to get to know the birds in your area is by purchasing a good bird book like Sibley’s Guide to Birds in North America. Another great option is using a digital platform like eBird or the Merlin Bird ID app for recording observations of birds and getting to know bird calls, to become more familiar with the dynamics of the habitats we live in.