ML282927861
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age and sex
- Unknown age, Male - 1
- Sounds
- Call
- Playback
- Playback not used
Observation details
All in trees around the Rains apartments. I heard one giving its "piterick" call repeatedly, then found it low above the sidewalk in dense pine and oak foliage. It cooperated well for photos and audio recordings. Its calls were echoing off the buildings, making it sound as if there were multiple birds. I eventually realized that there were indeed multiple birds, as I tracked down another bird giving its "piterick" call about 50 yards to the south, also in dense pine and oak foliage. Like the first bird, this second bird also was relatively bright yellow, with black wings and a hint of orange-red on the face, so presumably a male. The second bird had a bit more orange-red coloration on its face than the first bird did. While I was watching the second bird, a third individual flew in and joined it. This bird was drabber yellow with less contrasting wings, so perhaps a female (or immature male?). While watching these two birds, I could still hear the first individual calling behind me. Western Tanagers seem to be an uncommon but regular winterer on the Stanford campus, and last winter there were several sightings of up to three individuals at a time around Escondido Village, the Rains apartments, and the pistache trees along Bowdoin Street. I wonder if these three individuals are recent arrivals, as I have been birding Escondido Village regularly but had not seen any Western Tanagers here since September.
Additional species
Technical information
- Recorder
- iPhone 8
- Microphone
- Accessories
- Original file size
- 2.4 MB