Scarlet Tanager

July 7, 2016

Scarlet Tanager
Piranga olivacea

This beautifully-plumed bird is common enough in Connecticut that it’s hard not to find one if you’re looking in the right habitat, says this week’s author, Andy Rzeznikiewicz, our sanctuary manager in Pomfret.

What it looks like: About the size of a catbird or cardinal, the males are a brilliant, almost neon red color with black wings. On occasion some males are orange instead of red; they are referred to as the Orange Variant Scarlet Tanager (but are not a different species; we have on nesting at the Bafflin preserve in Pomfret).

From mid to late August through the winter, the males lose their scarlet feathers and molt into a greenish yellow color. The females are yellowish with brownish wings.

Where and how to find it: Scarlet Tanagers are a fairly common forest nesting bird in Connecticut. Most of the larger and many of the smaller forested areas of the state will have nesting pairs. They are mainly associated with oak forests but also look for them found in other deciduous as well as mixed conifer forests.

At this time of year they can still be found by listening for their call. The easiest to remember is the “chik-burr” call note. They respond to “pishing” and seem to be curious about the sound. This will help you spot the bird in the dense forest canopy.

If you know of a mulberry tree, sit by it and watch all the activity as birds feed on the berries; Scarlet Tanagers are frequent visitors to those trees.

The Orange Variant Scarlet Tanager nesting at the Bafflin sanctuary can be found on its territory in the forest just south of the Alfalfa Hill. It can be seen in the tree tops at the edge of the field. Note that there are at least three pairs of tanagers in the area, so you might have to find the right bird.

The Connecticut Audubon Society’s Chaney preserve, in Montville, and Croft preserve, in Goshen, have many nesting pairs. The Chaney preserve has a large trail system for easy access to the interior forest (Croft does not).

In fall, tanagers join mixed flocks and can be found in shrubland habitat feeding in various berry bushes.

What if the bird isn’t there: From May through August it is pretty hard to not find one in the larger forests of Connecticut. But if you have an unlucky day, you’ll still be able to find Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireos, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, various woodpeckers, Veerys, and Wood Thrushes, to name a few birds found in similar habitats as Scarlet Tanagers.

Conservation status: They considered of least concern, fortunately. The two main threats they face are forest fragmentation due to development, and Brown-headed Cowbirds. Apparently their nests are frequently parasitized by cowbirds, and the Scarlet Tanager parents can’t tell the difference between their eggs and cowbird eggs.

Top photo courtesy of Erica Seitz; bottom (female/juvenile, Jamie Chavez, Carolinabirds.org