I couldn’t resist writing a short post to accompany John Beer’s latest photo of a Crimson-collared Tanager (Ramphocelus sanguinolentus), taken in his garden in Santa Rosa this week.

It’s mine! Crimson-collared Tanager and Clay-colored Thrush dispute what’s left of a banana.

This is considered a fairly common species in our area. However, it is vastly outnumbered by other tanagers, chief of which are Blue-gray, Passerini’s, Palm, White-lined and Golden-hooded, so it’s quite a treat when we get regular visits from the appropriately named Crimson-collared Tanager. John and Milena are reporting probable nesting in their garden of this resident species. Males and females share the same stunning plumage, which features blood-red (cf. its Latin name) on black. The duller-plumaged immature bird in the next photograph is being fed by one of the adults.

Put out fruit at a feeder in any garden in our Turrialba area and in short order you’ll attract many, if not all, of the above-mentioned tanager species.