Anguilla Rare Bird Alert - Scarlet Tanager
On the evening of May 3, 2024, I was moving up my driveway when two red and black birds flew across my path and landed in the tree to my left. They were feeding in the trees along with a Caribbean Elaenia.
As you might have guessed, the camera was back at the house. I had to rely on my cell phone to do the job. It fell short but did provide proof for the eBird record.
Birds of the World provides the following information about this rare find:
“The vivid red and black male Scarlet Tanager, a harbinger of spring in eastern North America, is among the most colorful and striking of our breeding birds. The smallest of the four species of the genus Piranga that breed north of Mexico, it is a long-distance Neotropical migrant, annually making the journey between northwestern South America and the eastern United States and southern Canada. In eastern North America, its breeding range closely corresponds to the boundaries of the Eastern Deciduous Forest Biome, where despite its brilliant coloration it is often overlooked because of its unobtrusive and secretive behavior. Fortunately its hoarse, burry song and frequently uttered Chip-Churr Calls are quite distinctive and alert us to its presence high in the canopy.”
It is peak Spring Migration along the Atlantic Flyway with millions of birds moving in the last week. I suspect the storms that have circled Anguilla over the previous few days, forced the birds to ground to wait it out. We were experiencing heavy thunderstorms and lightning at the time of this sighting.
This was the first eBird record for this species on Anguilla.
Once the weather broke on Saturday, I paced the driveway listening for the call of the Tanagers or a flash of red in the trees. With no sign of the birds, I assumed they had resumed their migration.
On Sunday morning, as my New Zealand friends and I returned to the house after early morning birding, the red flash reappeared!
With the camera ready, I captured a few decent shots as one of the birds flitted from branch to branch in a Loblolly Tree. A pair of Lesser Antillean Bullfinch and Bananaquits accompanied it in its search for food. Eventually, it disappeared into the thickets and the other bird was not seen again.
This constitutes the second eBird record of this species in Anguilla.
What a special gift for myself and my visiting friends!
Will they hang out long enough to be counted on Global Big Day? Stay tuned to find out.
Take a Walk on the Wild Side!
Wow. What a beautiful bird. We are really lucky you saw it and shared it's beauty with us. Thank you!
Wow, great sighting! Beautiful bird. I did see one long time ago in Fort Desoto, Florida