We got a report today that the bird observers at our Starr Ranch Sanctuary are seeing Western Tanagers. And as spring migrants go, this one is hard to miss. It’s yellow and black coloring stands out marvelously. The Western Tanager spends the winter in southern Mexico and Central America, but breeds throughout the western United States and Canada. This is a bird benefits from Audubon California’s work throughout the state — it appears at the Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary, the Audubon Kern River Preserve, and anywhere where we’re maintaining the vitality of open woodland habitats. Check out the eBird maps from March and April below to see the action:

Here's the eBird map from March, where we see a few Western Tanagers:

But now here's the map from today, where we're seeing many more:

Give us another couple weeks, and the state will be loaded with them. We'll let you know when that happens.