Red-flanked Bluetail

Red-flanked Bluetail
Red-flanked Bluetail
Tarsiger cyanurus, Muscicapidae
Queen’s Park, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Nikon D5100, 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6
February 10, 2013

Last Sunday I tried my luck at getting a look at the Red-flanked Bluetail that has been reported from Queen’s Park, New Westminster. As you can see from the photo above I was successful. I saw the bird in its usual haunt in the conifers at the west end of the park near the playground. When in doubt, look for the crowd of people with binoculars and telephoto lenses. The non-twitchers may be wondering why this bird is such a big deal. This particular species is native to Northern Eurasia and winters in Southeast Asia. It has been recorded from the Aleutian Islands but this is the first Canadian record and only the second record from mainland North America. It seems to be a good year for rarities in Vancouver. Hopefully in the next couple weeks I’ll be able to tick off Brambling and Western Scrub Jay from my life list.

  • Sean McCann February 18, 2013, 9:36 pm

    Good catch! I have not yet been out to see it, but may do so.

    Reply

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