August 25, 2026

I am a Glistening-green Tanager

I can be found in Columbia and Ecuador

My plumage is shiny, glittering green

Appropriately enough, it's what I'm named for.

Location: Reserva Amagusa, Ecuador

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/glgtan1/cur/introduction

Photo and text © 2026 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

August 24, 2026

I am a Moss-backed Tanager

My head is big with a thick, stubby bill

My face is blue and my back is moss-green

And my song's described as "...a rattling trill.

Location: Reserva Amagusa, Ecuador

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/.../mobtan1/cur/introduction

Photo and text © 2026 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

June 22, 2025

I (at the top) am a female Scarlet-rumped Tanager

My mate, at least, lives up to our name

I'm mostly olive-yellow with a grey-brown head

But our black-tipped pale blue beaks are the same.

Location: Donde de Cope, Costa Rica

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/y00599/cur/identification

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

June 15, 2025

I am a Crimson-collared Tanager

I'm black with a white bill and a hood colored rud.

My scientific name is based on the Latin word "sanguinārius"

Which means "full of, or abounding in blood".

Location: Donde de Cope, Costa Rica

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/crctan1/cur/identification

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sanguinary#English

https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+%22rud%22&oq=definition+%22rud%22&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l9.9090j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

June 13, 2025

I am a male Shining Honeycreeper

I'm mostly blue with bright yellow feet

My mate's mostly green 

And doesn't look too much like me

But we both like fruit, insects and nectar to eat.

Location: Donde de Cope, Costa Rica

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/shihon1/cur/introduction

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

March 13, 2025

I am known as a Palm Tanager

Birds of the World describes me as "drab looking"

And they describe my calls as "unmusical"

But in the neotropics, I'm widespread and enduring.

Location: Soda Cinchona, Alajuela Province, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/paltan1/cur/introduction

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

March 11, 2025

I am a female Summer Tanager,

I'm yellow-green where my mate is red

We are not true Tanagers,

Taxonomy managers*

Say we are closer to Cardinals instead.

(* Yes, I know the proper term is "taxonomist", but that doesn't rhyme with "Tanager".)

Location: Soda Cinchona, Alajuela Province, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Summer_Tanager/overview

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

March 10, 2025

I am a male Summer Tanager, 

Superficially, I look like a Cardinal

But I don't have a crest

Nor black accents

In fact, other than red feathers, our similarities are marginal.

Location: Soda Cinchona, Alajuela Province, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Summer_Tanager/overview

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

March 9, 2025

I am a Scarlet-rumped Tanager

I'm solid black, except for my flaming red butt

When breeding, at dawn,

I sing a long song,

And impress girls by fluffing my stuff. 

Location: Soda Cinchona, Alajuela Province, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/y00599/cur/sounds

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

February 26, 2025

I am a Blue-gray Tanager

I'm light gray and blue with a black beak and eyes

I am pretty well known

For building nests high and low,

Frequently using stolen supplies.*

*As described in the linked article, "[the Blue-gray Tanager]... often pilfers material from unfinished or even occupied nests of other species"

Location: Soda Cinchona, Alajuela Province, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/bugtan/cur/introduction#repro

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

February 25, 2025

I am a Silver-throated Tanager

I'm yellow streaked with a pale throat patch

I can be found from Costa Rica to Ecuador

My singing voice is buzzy like the insects I catch.

(This was one of my favorite birds we saw on this trip. I think I took hundreds of photos of them, they are just so adorable, photogenic, and willing posers.)

Location:  Soda Cinchona, Alajuela Province, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Sources: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/sittan1/cur/introduction

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.