Summer Tanager

May 6, 2017
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra

by Milan Bull, Senior Director of Science and Conservation
Although this is a common summer resident of our southern states, the Summer Tanager is a rare migrant in Connecticut woodlands, usually seen in mid-May. Lately an unusual pair has been regularly seen at Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven in the tree line between the road closed to traffic and the harbor, offering some great views.

On their southern breeding grounds they nest in openings or along the edges of deciduous or oak-pine forests and during migration they often stop in habitats similar to their breeding grounds as well as parks and gardens. Look along forest openings and edges in the deciduous forests.

Although Summer Tanagers are closely related to Scarlet and Western Tanagers, taxonomists now consider Summer Tanagers to be part of the cardinal family.

What it looks like: The Summer Tanager is the only all-red bird in North America. The strawberry colored male is among the most eye-catching bird of the forest. The female is a dull mustard color and can be very difficult to spot. Like many songbirds, the best way to find them is to listen for their very distinctive robin-like song and their peculiar pik-it-tukituk call. Look for this bird foraging in the canopy of deciduous trees but also sometimes in the lower shrubs in the forest openings and around parks and gardens.

Interesting facts: Although Summer Tanagers can eat a variety of insects and caterpillars, they actually specialize on bees and wasps which they catch in flight, then return to the branch where they rub off the stinger before consuming.

Conservation: Summer Tanagers are listed by the IUCN as Least Concern. Overall populations are currently stable with their estimated global breeding population at 12 million.

Photos: NJ Birds & Pamela Wilson, Carolinabirds.org