—Photo courtesy DON BARTLING
A juvenile Western Tanager hides among the trees at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge recently.
September 15, 2016
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September 15, 2016 1 a.m.
Tanagers finds home among Idaho's trees
Several weeks ago I was on the west side of the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge by Myrtle Creek when I noticed a brightly colored bird about 6-7 inches long, with a brilliant red head, bright yellow body, black back, wings and tail. I quickly reviewed my Birds of Idaho field guide to identify this beautiful bird. The guide confirmed it was a male Western Tanager. The female is duller in color than the male, lacking the red head. The juvenile is similar to the female.