Library #23 · C Color · Wave 2

Scarlet Tanager

Piranga olivacea · Cardinalidae

Breeding male is flaming red with jet-black wings — a forest jewel.

At a glance

Size: 6.3–6.7 in
Wingspan: 9.8–11.4 in
Habitat: Mature deciduous forest canopy
Diet: Insects, some fruit

Range: Breeds in the East; winters in South America

Nesting: Shallow cup high on a horizontal branch.

Coloring pose idea: Male glowing in oak canopy

Hear this bird

General call / song: Chick-burr call; burry song.

Mating / display: Male sings from high canopy perches to claim territory.

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Play calls on All About Birds Species overview Audubon field guide

How to know it

Breeding male: scarlet body, black wings and tail.
Female/nonbreeding: olive-yellow with darker wings.
Stays high in the canopy — easier heard than seen.

Behavior

Song is robin-like but burrier.
Long-distance neotropical migrant.
Needs large forest tracts for best breeding success.

Fun facts

Winters in the Andes foothills and Amazon edge.
Molt transforms males from red to olive-yellow.
A highlight species for spring bird walks.

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text. Call playback via link to All About Birds / Cornell Lab. Re-test QR codes on a phone before final print. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab or Audubon.

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