Scarlet Tanager

Piranga olivacea

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

18 cm (7") Common. Eastern United States, southeastern Canada. Mature deciduous woods, pine-oak forests, pines, maples, shade trees.

Male: breeding bird has brilliant red body (some orange variants) with jet-black wings and tail. In July/August red feathers molt into greenish ones, giving the bird a patchy red and green look.

Female: olive-green above, yellow below, wings and tail dark brownish or black. Light bill. Similar female Summer Tanager has a larger bill.

Song: hoarse Robin-like warble song; distinctive "chick-burr" (keep-back) call.

Details in the field

Photo gallery

4 photos

Credit: Larry Bond

Credit: Ray Barlow

Credit: nebirdsplus

Credit: Bob Devlin

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Scarlet Tanager

Credit: Larry Bond

Scarlet Tanager—Flame of Spring

Credit: Lang Elliott's Nature Channel

Where it lives

Distribution map

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 4 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Scarlet Tanager (Male)

2 rules

Rule 1 14 criteria confidence 4

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:1021-scarlet-tanager-male:1:1 Source: 1021 Scarlet Tanager (Male), row 1

Rule 2 14 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:1021-scarlet-tanager-male:2:1 Source: 1021 Scarlet Tanager (Male), row 2

Scarlet Tanager (Female/Immature/Winter Male)

2 rules

Rule 1 14 criteria confidence 4

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Female · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:1022-scarlet-tanager-female-immature-winter-male:1:1 Source: 1022 Scarlet Tanager (Female/Immature/Winter Male), row 1

Rule 2 14 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Female · Unknown
Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?: Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:1022-scarlet-tanager-female-immature-winter-male:2:1 Source: 1022 Scarlet Tanager (Female/Immature/Winter Male), row 2