Many years ago I had an orange Scarlet Tanager in a tree line near the house in
Monroe County WV; I cannot recall the source now but somewhere I read that 1st
year males sometimes have this coloration. Could it be that "simple?"
David I. White Jr. | 505 Park Plaza, Charlottesville VA | H: 434-296-4272 | C:
434-466-3636 | dizoo@xxxxxxxxxxx
On May 4, 2015, at 9:26 PM, Donald Sweig <skybirds.d@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Most of the several adult, male, Scarlet Tanagers seen at Monticello Park
today were the bright-red Scarlet color with black wings that one expects to
see on this bird.
One of the adult males, however, while retaining the black wings of an
adult male bird, had a body color that was orange, somewhat like an Oriole.
David Sibley specifically notes this color-variant on page 463 of the first
edition of his bird guide.
I have seen orange-variant Scarlet tanagers at Monticello Park before, in
the 25 years that I've been birding there. I also had one at the birdbath in
my yard about 8 or 10 years ago.
The bird was seen, and it's color noted, by a number of people in the park.
I was able to get a very good photograph of the bird when it was down low on
one of the saplings by the creek. I shared this photograph, on my camera,
with several other people in the park.
I have never been able to determine, with any degree of certainty, exactly
what causes this orange-variant color on an-otherwise red bird. It is
apparently either a genetic aberration, or is caused by the food that the
bird eats, or some combination thereof.
Whatever the cause, it's a strikingly interesting bird to see.
You just never know what you might see at Monticello park this time of
year.
Donald Sweig
Falls Church, Virginia
Sent from my iPad
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