The blue-gray tanager is a medium-sized songbird native to North and South America. With its slate-blue upperparts and grayish underside, this tanager species is often confused with other similar birds. The blue-gray tanager is an omnivorous bird that feeds on insects, fruits, and nectar. It prefers open woodland habitats and can often be spotted visiting backyard feeders. In this article, we will discuss the blue-gray tanager’s identification, diet, habitat, breeding, conservation status and a few more facts about this beautiful bird.
What does a blue-gray tanager look like?
The blue-gray tanager has blue-gray upperparts, with a pale gray breast, belly and undertail coverts. The wings and tail are darker blue-gray. The bill is thick and stout, perfectly adapted for crushing seeds and fruits. Adult males have a brighter blue-gray coloration, while females are duller gray. Juveniles start out with olive-brown plumage before molting into their adult colors.
Some key identification features of the blue-gray tanager include:
– Blue-gray upperparts, pale gray underside
– Darker wings and tail
– Thick, stout bill
– Bright yellow-orange eyes
– Females duller than males
– Juveniles olive-brown
The blue-gray tanager reaches lengths of 5.5-6.7 inches and weighs 0.6-0.9 ounces. It is similar in size to other tanager species.
What does the blue-gray tanager eat?
The blue-gray tanager is omnivorous, feeding on a diverse diet of insects, fruits and seeds. Its stout beak allows it to crush hard seeds and fruits.
Insects like beetles, ants, wasps, and flies make up a large portion of this bird’s diet during the breeding season. It often sallies out from a perch to capture insects mid-air. Caterpillars are fed to nestlings and fledglings.
Fruits and berries supplement its diet during fall and winter months. Favored fruits include mulberries, wild cherries, serviceberries and hackberries. At backyard feeders, blue-gray tanagers relish mealworms, sunflower seeds and suet.
Nectar from flowers like salvia, honeysuckle and trumpet vines also provides nutrients. The blue-gray tanager has a specially adapted tongue to slurp up nectar while hovering at the blooms.
Where does the blue-gray tanager live?
The blue-gray tanager breeds across eastern and central North America. Its breeding range stretches west to Montana, Wyoming and Colorado, and south to Texas and Florida. These songbirds migrate to wintering grounds in Central America, the Caribbean islands and northern South America.
This tanager prefers open, mixed woodlands with a broken canopy. Mature oak, hickory, pine and cedar forests interspersed with clearings provide ideal habitat. It also inhabits partially open habitats like forest edges, parks, and suburban backyards.
During migration, blue-gray tanagers stopover in a variety of wooded habitats along their route. They winter in tropical forests, second growth, and semi-open areas from Mexico to Bolivia and southeastern Brazil.
When and where does the blue-gray tanager nest?
The breeding season for blue-gray tanagers extends from May to August, though timing varies across their range. As spring arrives, pairs begin defending nesting territories and constructing nests.
The female builds an open cup nest on a horizontal tree branch, 10 to 35 feet above ground. Common nest sites include oak, beech, hickory, cedar and pine trees. She constructs the nest from twigs, bark strips, vines, leaves and rootlets. mosses, grasses and flower buds provide a soft lining.
Clutches contain 3-5 pale bluish-green eggs marked with brown speckles. The female incubates the eggs for 11-14 days while the male brings food to her. Both parents feed the nestlings, which fledge 10-15 days after hatching. Blue-gray tanagers may raise 1-2 broods per season.
What is the conservation status of blue-gray tanagers?
With a large range and abundant numbers, the blue-gray tanager is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Partners in Flight estimates a breeding population of 31 million in North America. Population trends are currently stable with no major threats identified.
However, suburban sprawl and logging practices reducing mature open forests may impact local populations. The blue-gray tanager adapts readily to wooded parks and backyards, so planting native fruit trees can help provide habitat in developed areas. This songbird faces no significant conservation threats at this time.
Interesting facts about blue-gray tanagers
Here are a few more interesting facts about this handsome songbird:
– The scientific name is Thraupis episcopus, with Thraupis meaning “small bird” in Greek.
-Male blue-gray tanagers use their coloration to attract mates, singing a hoarse “burr-like” song and flashing their wings.
-They are sometimes mistaken for Eastern bluebirds due to similar color patterns. The thick bill helps distinguish tanagers.
-Blue-gray tanagers hybridize with other tanager species like summer tanagers where their ranges overlap.
-These songbirds migrate at night in loose flocks, navigating by the stars. Their winter flocks may mix with other tropical tanagers.
-They help control insect pest populations by consuming large quantities, especially around agricultural areas.
-Blue-gray tanagers wipe their beaks on branches after eating to remove sticky fruit residue.
Conclusion
The blue-gray tanager is a beautiful songbird that brightens up parks, forests and backyards across much of North America. Their slate blue plumage provides a pop of color as the male flits through sun-dappled woods. Although they eat some fruit and nectar, blue-gray tanagers help control insect pests and play an important role in seed dispersal. This adaptable bird readily visits feeders and nests in wooded suburban areas. With vibrant coloration and a melodious song, the blue-gray tanager is a joy to observe on a spring day.
