Western Tanager

Status Seven records. It was first recorded in Digby, where a bright-plumaged male appeared in the garden of John Russell about 26 November 1957. It stayed in the vicinity until 5 December, when it was killed by a cat. A wing was salvaged and sent to W. Earl Godfrey, who confirmed the bird's identity. The next bird appeared at the home of Samuel Chivers at Sable River, Shelburne County, on 30 October 1960 (H.F. Lewis). A bird near Tusket, Yarmouth County, in late August 1962 was satisfactorily described by Adele Hurlburt. Other well described birds have been at Lower Ohio, Shelburne County (E. Harris), Cranberry Head, Yarmouth County, on 14 September 1976 (M. Hilton, A. Hurlburt) and at West Pubnico, Yarmouth County, on 27 December 1979 (D. d'Entremont). A female caught in a mist net set by Ross Anderson on Brier Island on 22 August 1980 was photographed, banded and released.

Remarks On 4 December 1957 I saw the Digby bird at close range and it appeared to be in good condition and in typical winter plumage, its face showing only traces of the crimson so conspicuously displayed in summer. In general appearance it suggested an over-sized American Goldfinch in summer plumage. The normal range of the Western Tanager is in the western mountains of Canada and the United States in summer, and from Oregon to Panama in winter, so our vagrants have been hopelessly lost birds.