Piranga olivacea
Scarlet Tanager
The Scarlet Tanager is a striking medium-sized bird. Adult males in breeding season display brilliant scarlet-red bodies contrasted by black wings and tail. Their bill is whitish or pale.
Females are olive-green above with yellowish-olive underparts, and have duller brownish-olive wings and tail. They show a subtle yellow "spectacled" appearance around their eyes.
During fall and winter (non-breeding season), adult males molt to an olive-green plumage similar to females but retain their black wings and tail.
Length
16cm to 19cm
Wingspan
25cm to 30cm
Weight
23g to 38g
Woodland
Garden
Wetland
Coastal
Urban
Farmland
Grassland
Desert
Tundra
Rainforest
Mountain
Savanna
Scarlet Tanagers inhabit mature deciduous and mixed forests across eastern North America. They prefer large, unbroken tracts of woodland with tall trees and a closed canopy.
During breeding season, they're found from southeastern Canada to the northeastern United States. In winter, they migrate to northwestern South America, inhabiting tropical forests in countries like Colombia and Ecuador.
Up to 2,000 meters
Temperate, Tropical
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Scarlet Tanagers primarily feed on insects, including caterpillars, beetles, wasps, and flies. They glean these from leaves and branches in the forest canopy.
During migration and in winter, they supplement their diet with fruits and berries, particularly when insect availability is low.
Scarlet Tanagers are often heard before they're seen, as they tend to forage high in the forest canopy. They hop along branches, searching for insects.
During the breeding season, males become territorial and engage in aerial chases to defend their areas.
The Scarlet Tanager's song is a series of burry warbles, often described as sounding like a robin with a sore throat. Their distinctive call is a sharp 'chip-burr' or 'chick-bree'.
During territorial disputes, males may produce a softer 'tuk-tuk-tuk' sound.
Breeding occurs from late spring to early summer. Males arrive at breeding grounds first, establishing territories and attracting females with their bright plumage and songs.
Females construct shallow, saucer-shaped nests on horizontal tree branches, usually 20-30 feet high. The nest is made of twigs, grass, and bark, lined with fine rootlets. They typically lay 3-5 pale blue-green eggs with brown speckles.
Incubation lasts about 13-14 days, primarily done by the female. Both parents feed the nestlings, which fledge after 9-11 days but remain dependent on the adults for several more weeks.
The Scarlet Tanager typically lives for 5 to 10 years, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 11.9 years.
Like all birds, lifespan can be affected by factors including predation, habitat quality, disease, and access to food sources.
While currently listed as Least Concern, Scarlet Tanagers face threats from habitat loss due to deforestation and forest fragmentation. Climate change may also impact their breeding habitats and migration patterns.
Conservation efforts focus on protecting large tracts of mature deciduous forests.
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website: BirdLife International. 2016. Piranga olivacea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22722466A94767758.
View sourcereport, 2007: Data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven
website, 2020: Partners in Flight
View sourcewebsite: Historical Longevity Records of North American Birds
View source