A stunning small songbird — males entirely brilliant rose-red, females yellow-olive. The only entirely red North American bird (vs. Cardinal's dark wings).
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The summer tanager is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.
Source: Wikipedia — Summer tanager Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Male entirely rose-red (no black wings), with a large pale bill; female mustard-yellow to orange. The only entirely red North American bird.
Similar species. Northern Cardinal has a crest and black face; Scarlet Tanager male has black wings. Summer Tanager is uniformly red with no crest and a big bill.
Voice. A sweet, robin-like warble; distinctive staccato call 'pi-tuck' or 'pik-i-tuck-i-tuck'.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Seeds, insects, fruits.
Behavior. A tanager of open woodlands and pine-oak forest; a specialist on bees and wasps, which it catches in flight and beats against a branch before removing the sting.
§ Range
Southeastern and southern US in summer
§ Habitat
Open deciduous woodlands, pine-oak forests
§ Threats
Forest loss, climate change.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the summer tanager is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support southern forest protection. Maintain native oaks and pines.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Summer tanager
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Piranga rubra
- IUCN Red List — search for Piranga rubra
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Piranga rubra
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
