Bird Watch: Blue Gray Tanager

Blue Gray Tanager

Probably the most abundant tanager in the Coronado area and can be seen in small groups or alone. These birds have a lighter blue head and back changing to a light blue gray breast and darker blue wings. They can be seen on the ground and in tree tops and can be aggressive toward other birds regardless of size. They flit from perch to perch and have a distinct flight pattern of 3 or 4 quick beats of the wings followed by a glide which descends slightly and then rises before 3 or 4 more wing beats to maintain speed.

Adult size is about 16 cm (6 in)