Bird identification

D Semple · May 03, 2012, 12:50:32 PM

What's this little guy called who likes to eat my bees so much?

D Coates · May 03, 2012, 03:30:05 PM

Appears to be a female Oriole? The wings are normally more pronounce with darker colors but the size, beak type and the way it's sitting fit with an Oriole. http://sdakotabirds.com/species_photos/baltimore_oriole_2.htm They're diet changes more to insects when they've got young that need protein. http://www.wild-bird-watching.com/Baltimore-Oriole.html

stella · May 03, 2012, 03:38:48 PM

Last spring I had a young male summer tanager eating bees from my hive in the early mornings. Not over eating, just snacking on a few.

D Coates · May 03, 2012, 05:10:29 PM

Stella may be onto something. The photo on the thread makes the bird look Robin size to me but if the bird is more Cardinal size I'd say Stella is right. http://sdakotabirds.com/species_photos/scarlet_tanager_2.htm

D Semple · May 03, 2012, 05:22:18 PM

The Scarlet Tanager looks like a closer match from the photo, but she was the size of an Oriole, and my neighbors have an Oriole feeding station. No black or brown on the wings is what's got me stumped. I'll try to get a better picture this evening.

Thanks Drew and Stella.

Don

kingbee · May 04, 2012, 02:41:57 AM

The pic is a little blurry. (1) a female Scarlet Tanninger (2) an immature Orchard Oriole (3) Somekind of gross beak

Beeboy01 · May 04, 2012, 02:39:51 PM

I''ve a family of Brown House Wrens picking up the drones and older bees out in front of my hives. I'm leaving them alone right now BUT....

stella · May 04, 2012, 03:40:51 PM

Not a Scarlet Tanager, a Summer Tanager. They are also called a bee bird.
Ill try to attach a link....http://www.birdinginformation.com/birds/tanager/summer-tanager/

D Semple · May 04, 2012, 05:23:11 PM

Quote from: stella on May 04, 2012, 03:40:51 PM
Not a Scarlet Tanager, a Summer Tanager. They are also called a bee bird.
Ill try to attach a link....http://www.birdinginformation.com/birds/tanager/summer-tanager/

Bingo!

Thanks Stella, I'll make her my 1st entry in my birding list.

D Coates · May 04, 2012, 05:36:04 PM

Great find Stella! I didn't even know there was something called a Summer Tanager. The photo of it with bees in it's mouth is the cherry on top. I learn something every day.

stella · May 04, 2012, 10:41:42 PM

Happy to be able to give something back on this wonderful forum.

We are not suppose to have them up here in MN so I was skeptical last spring when I ID'd my bee eating bird as a Summer Tanager. My search led me to a Minnesota ornithology forum where bird watchers here had been seeing them.
If you get a chance D Semple, watch the bird as it swoops up to a tree branch with a bee and swipes the bee against a branch to remove the stinger. It is an interesting sight.