Flame-colored Tanager (Piranga bidentata), Madera, Pima County

This male Flame-colored Tanager has returned every spring and summer for the last six years to the Kubo at Madera Canyon.  It was photographed this year by Gus Hallgren on 29 and 31 March 2008 and then again by Bryan Pfeiffer on 18 May 2008. 

Flame-colored Tanager is very rare in the Sky Islands but has been recorded in the Chiricahuas, Huachucas and Santa Ritas.  It has bred several times and been observed to hybridize with Western Tanagers.  It is an  Arizona Bird Committee Review species. 

Submitting photos to AZFO does not constitute reporting a rare bird for consideration as an official record. To ensure that a record becomes official, details or photos of Sketch Details Species should be sent to the Editors of North American Birds and a full report of Review Species should be submitted to the Arizona Bird Committee. Most rare birds are under _documented and subsequent observers of a rarity are always encouraged to submit reports and additional photos, especially for birds that are challenging to identify.

18 May 2008, photo by Bryan Pfeiffer

 

29 March 2008, photo by Gus Hallgren

 

31 March 2008, photo by Gus Hallgren