SCARLET TANAGER GALLERY
(Piranga olivacea)

eBird offers the following description for the Scarlet Tanager:  Adult males are brilliant red with black wings and tail. Females and nonbreeding males are dull yellow-olive with gray or black wings. Breeds in forested areas. Song is burry series of notes, like a robin with a sore throat. Winters in South America. Occasionally visits feeders in the spring, especially after periods of rain. Prefers oranges or grape jelly.

I saw my first Scarlet Tanager on my April 27, 2020 visit to the Sabine Woods Sanctuary.  I was sitting at the middle water feature when, suddenly and unexpectedly, a bright red bird arrived and perched for just a moment on the drip line frame.  Fortunately, I had my camera ready, and I got a shot of this beautiful bird.  It did not visit the water or return to the area while I was there.  I am grateful my patience paid off that day with a picture of this bird!

Scarlet Tanager, April 27, 2020 at Sabine Woods Sanctuary.

Scarlet Tanager “Cool Facts” From All About Birds…

  • On the wintering grounds in South America the Scarlet Tanager joins mixed species foraging flocks with flycatchers, antbirds, woodcreepers, and resident tropical tanagers.
  • The female Scarlet Tanager sings a song similar to the male’s, but softer, shorter, and less harsh. She sings in answer to the male’s song and while she is gathering nesting material.
  • The response of the Scarlet Tanager to habitat fragmentation varies from place to place. Results from the Cornell Lab’s Project Tanager indicate that in the heart of the species’ range in the Northeast, it can be found in small forest patches. In the Midwest, similar sized forest patches tend to have no tanagers.
  • Scarlet Tanagers often play host to eggs of the Brown-headed Cowbird, particularly where the forest habitat has been fragmented. When a pair of tanagers notices a female cowbird approaching, they aggressively drive her away. If they don’t notice, the cowbird gets rid of a tanager egg and replaces it with one of her own. The tanagers apparently can’t tell the difference, either before or after the egg hatches, and they raise the imposter along with the rest of their brood.
  • The oldest Scarlet Tanager on record was a male, and at least 11 years, 11 months old. He was banded in Pennsylvania in 1990, and found in Texas in 2001.