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Summer Tanager

Piranga rubra ORDER: PASSERIFORMES FAMILY: CARDINALIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

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The only entirely red bird in North America, the Summer Tanager is a bird of southern forests. It specializes in eating bees and wasps, both in the summer and on its wintering grounds in Central and South America.

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Appearance

Finchlike
Finchlike
Typical Voice

Adult Description

  • Medium-sized songbird.
  • Male entirely red; female dull yellow.

Male Description

Entirely bright red. Wings slightly darker or more gray, especially in winter (Basic Plumage).

Female Description

Upperparts plain yellowish olive green. Brighter yellow on crown and rump. Underparts dull yellow, with olive green wash on sides. Wing feathers grayish brown with yellow edging. Some females have red feathers. The red may be as a wash on body feathers, splotches of red feathers, or, rarely, the bird may be entirely red.

Immature Description

Immature resembles adult female. First spring male with variable amount of red and yellow feathers; may have only a few red feathers on head, or may be entirely red except for the wing feathers.

Range Map Help

Summer Tanager Range Map
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Field MarksHelp

Similar Species

Similar Species

  • Scarlet Tanager male is brilliant red and has black wings. Scarlet Tanager female is greener and the wings are darker than the body.
  • Hepatic Tanager male has dusky gray face patch, is duller grayish red overall, has dark bill and legs, and darker wings and tail. Hepatic Tanager female has a darker bill, has a gray face patch, and gray sides.
  • Female orioles have white wingbars and more pointed bills.