Evening star., 1946-09-24
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceaUelI.
WESTERN AVENUE.

w Co lcIkIN n OE.
do scarlet tanagers stay here all
winter?
to time, and it would be fine if he
would remain, because he is such
beautiful bird.
Il think he is far prettier than a car
dinal, not only in his coloring, but also
in his lack of the naughty look Of the
cardinal
Il have tried for years to work up an
enthusiasm about the redbird, but have
not been able to do so. 1t Is fine
bird, but to my taste not in the same
class with the tanagers.
Il have tried putting out food for
them, but they pay no attention to it,
and I wonder what they eat If they
stay here.
Yours truly, M F. d.
Scarlet tanagers do not stay here.
Even If they did they would scarcely
be recognizable, for they are green in
winter
This tanager winters in the West In
dies, Mexico and Central American
countries.
The male changes its color every
time it changes in migratory direction
Instead of red and black, it becomes
yellow-green and yellow when it goes
South. and turns black and red when
it comes North.
The female tanager Is always more
or less yellow-g green, with yellow below,
and in the first year North the young
cardinals somewhat resemble her
The black begins to appear, however,
before the young males leave in late
autumn
Sometimes the scarlet tanager is
called the scarlet sparrow In other
places he goes by the name of black
winged redbird, fire-bird and pocket
bird
His vivid red is entirely different from
the cardinals tone. being what is COM
monty called electric"
The common name of fire-bird is a
good one, since it tells something of
the unusual quality of the coloring
1t Is not exactly shy bird, but since
1t remains mostly in trees, it is not
easily seen, and has none of the friend
illness of our cardinal.
In the spring the cardinal accounts
for many an insect inimical to man.
Later In the year he is not so interested
in this kind of food
The summer tanager Is the only
other one of the tanagers to visit Wash
ington and vicinity. He is, not as pretty
bird. having gray-brownish wings
All tanagers have heavy bills. In the
South this species is sometimes called
the summer redbird, to distinguish it
from the cardinal, which they call the
winter redbird.
The latter title, for the cardinal. is
based on the fact that the cardinal is
around at all times of year., This makes
our familiar redbird a great friend of
local bird watchers.
We would advise our correspondent
to correct his thinking in SO far as the
cardinal is concerned. There is moth
ing naughty about him. He Is one of
the best, and we know that If he is
watched closely, any one will come to
this conclusion
1t is interesting, the different likes
and dislikes bird lovers have. There is
perhaps no one who, At some time or
other, does not speak harshly against
one or more species.
Perhaps few birds deserve anything
except praise. It Is easy to fall into
invective, but the truth Is akin to that
among great musicians, that It is totally
unnecessary to praise one by running
down another, as sometimes is heard
Young people like to indulge In this
form OF pettiness. They even 60 to the
extent OF sneering at symphonies just
because they like jazz music! The better
way is to like both. 1t is the same with
birds While certain species have va
rious traits, some of them not likeable,
most birds are good taking them by
and large, as the expression has it..
The critical attitude may be carried
too far, and We believe 1t has been
when any one says he does not like
the cardinal.