Birds of Belize: Yellow-winged Tanager

One of the many Papaya trees at Lower Dover that the birds can't resist.

For guests looking for the best bird watching and wildlife sightings in Belize, all they have to do is book a room at Lower Dover Jungle Lodge and look outside their cabana.

We have already covered the Tapir sighting, and the Collard Aracari photos were a hit. Once again the Papaya Tree has brought the birds in close so we could get some more great bird photos.

Yellow-winged Tanager at Lower Dover.

This time it was a Yellow-winged Tanager (Thraupis abbas) that stopped by for a bite to eat. Birds of Belize by H. Lee Jones, describes the Yellow-winged Tanager as Lilac blue, becoming dusky blue on back, olive on under parts; black wings and tail with distinctive yellow patch at base of remiges.

Rare yellow-winged Tanager eats a papaya.

Apparently Jones claims these Tanagers are hard to see, even while singing, because they remain motionless in the foliage. We consider ourselves lucky then to have been ten feet from such an elusive bird!

Yellow-winged Tanager.

Yellow-winged Tanager.

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