Photo courtesy of Greg Lavaty

Scarlet Tanager

Piranga olivacea
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thraupidae
Listen:
Sound courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Did you know?

The Scarlet Tanager prefers the forest interior and is sensitive to forest fragmentation--it won't even attempt to nest in small or isolated forest patches. This Tanager's story makes a strong case for protecting healthy, intact forests in North and South America.

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General Description

Adult males in breeding plumage are bright red with black wings and tail. Adult females are olive on top with yellowish underparts, and have olive-brown wings and tail. When in non-breeding plumage, adult males look similar to females, except that the males retain their black wings and tail. The bird's stout, smooth bill is yellowish, turning to gray near the base, and its legs are bluish-gray. Despite being a strikingly colorful bird, the Scarlet Tanager's behavior is very secretive. On the breeding grounds, this bird is very territorial; on the wintering (non-breeding) grounds, its behavior is not well-known but given that it spends time in mixed-species foraging flocks, it is likely not territorial.

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Habitat & Migration

Scarlet Tanagers prefer to breed in the canopy of mature deciduousA tree or shrub that sheds its leaves at the end of each growing season.
More... and mixed deciduous forests ranging from Manitoba to Nova Scotia in Canada, and southward to Arkansas and northern Georgia in the United States. Occasionally they breed in suburban areas with large trees. During the breeding season, Scarlet Tanagers eat primarily insects, including flying and nonflying adults, as well as larvae (especially moth and butterfly larvae), and spiders.

This tanager is referred to as a "forest-interior" species, meaning that it occurs and breeds mainly in large forested areas. Where there is less forest in the landscape, the tanager is less likely to be found. Despite regional variation, these tanagers generally breed most successfully where the land is at least 70% forested. They are usually less successful when attempting to breed on land that is less than 50% forested. Researchers suggest that in fragmented forests, nesting birds are more likely to encounter parasitic cowbirds, as well as nest predators such as crows and raccoons that are not found in interior forest habitat.

These birds migrate longer distances than any other tanager to reach their wintering grounds, which extend from Panama south through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. In the non-breeding season they forage in primary forests, tall second-growth forests, and at forest edges, between 300 and 4,300 feet in altitude. When insects are not abundant, such as on the non-breeding grounds, during the late breeding season, and during migration, these tanagers also eat earthworms and various fruits and tender buds.

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The Coffee Connection

Scarlet Tanagers have been seen on coffee plantations in Colombia, and on shade coffee plantations in Nicaragua and Panama. Some studies in tropical areas have documented Scarlet Tanagers during the non-breeding season, but due to the small number of birds seen in these studies, it is difficult to discern tanager habitat use and possible preferences. These tanagers appear to inhabit montaneHighland areas located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions.
More... evergreen forests on the tropical eastern slope of the Andes, forests of steep-sloped, well-drained foothills, and possibly Amazonian lowland forests as well; these forest types tend to be rich in tree species, mosses, and epiphytes. Scarlet Tanagers have been seen foraging for insects in mixed-species flocks containing mostly other tanager species. More research is needed to better understand habitat use and behavior for this tanager during the non-breeding season.

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Conservation Status

Up until 1980, data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) suggested that the Scarlet Tanager's population was increasing across its range. Since 1980, there has been no clear overall population trend, although there are differences among regions. While tanager populations have remained stable in some areas, in parts of New England they have declined significantly. In contrast, their numbers have risen significantly in midwestern States around the Great Lakes.

Scarlet Tanagers are highly sensitive to forest fragmentation on their breeding grounds, and this sensitivity may play a role in the wide range in regional population trends. Some studies have found that Scarlet Tanagers cannot be found breeding in forests smaller than about 25 acres, and in smaller forests, the tanagers suffer high rates of predation and cowbird parasitism.

So little is known about these tanagers while they pass the non-breeding season in the tropics that it is difficult to understand what threats they face during these months. However, forests throughout the tropics are being converted to other uses. Due to the Scarlet Tanager's preference for tropical evergreen forests, they may be vulnerable to the alteration of these areas. Globally, this species is classified as "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of NatureA global environment network which publishes a "Red List" indicating the conservation status of plants and animals. Status on the “Red List” increases from Least Concern to Near Threatened to Vulnerable to Endangered to Critically Endangered.
More... (IUCN). However, more research is needed to understand the needs of this forest-dependent species.

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