Piranga rubra
The Summer Tanager (*Piranga rubra*) is a vibrant passerine known for the male's striking, uniform rose-red plumage, making it the only entirely red bird in North America without any black markings. Females, in contrast, are a rich, warm yellow, often with an olive-tinged back and brighter underparts, providing a stark example of sexual dimorphism. Measuring 17-19 cm (6.7-7.5 in) in length with a wingspan of 28-32 cm (11-12.6 in) and weighing 29-32 g (1.0-1.1 oz), it possesses a stout, pale b...
Typically inhabits open deciduous or mixed pine-oak woodlands, often near water sources such as streams or riparian corridors. It prefers areas with scattered large trees and an open understory, generally found at lower to mid-elevations.
Primarily large insects, especially bees, wasps, hornets, and cicadas, supplemented with berries and small fruits, particularly outside the breeding season. Forages by gleaning from foliage or hawking insects aerially.
Summer Tanagers are diurnal birds, often observed foraging actively during the day and roosting solitarily or in loose family groups at night. Their foraging strategy primarily involves gleaning insects from foliage or remarkably, performing aerial sallies to catch flying prey, reminiscent of a f...
The Summer Tanager's breeding range spans widely across the eastern and central United States, extending from the Mid-Atlantic States west through the Midwest, and south across the entire southeastern U.S. into Florida. A disjunct breeding population, sometimes recognized as the subspecies *Piran...
Least Concern
- The Summer Tanager is the only all-red bird in North America lacking any black markings on its wings or tail. - They are expert at catching and eating stinging insects like wasps and bees, often rubbing them against a branch to remove the stinger before consumption. - Despite their vibrant colo...