Female Common Whitetail (Plathemis llydia), Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois (14 Jun 2008)
Panasonic DMC-FZ50
Common Whitetail (AKA Long-tailed Skimmer) - Order Odonata : Infraorder Anisoptera : Family Libellulidae : Plathemis llydia
The species is sexually dimorphic. The name comes from the male's white tail. This one is a female. Males average about 2 inches in length, females are slightly smaller.
The species is common in North America. They are generally found near ponds where they spend their time "hawking" for mosquitos and other insects. They often perch on objects near the water as this one is doing.
© 200 8Gary J. Sibio. All rights reserved.
Cannot confirm call from this individual, but heard plenty of prairie warblers in this area at this time.