Scarlet Tanager
Piranga olivacea
Cardinalidae
The moment you see a male Scarlet Tanager for the first time you understand why people bird. Flame-red body, jet-black wings and tail — the most vividly colored bird in eastern North American forests. Females are olive-yellow, easier to miss but equally worth the search. Forest-interior specialists, most commonly seen high in mature oaks.
Arrives from South America in May; departs September.
How to spot one.
6–7.5 inches
Breeding male: brilliant flame-red body, black wings and tail
Female and winter male: bright olive-yellow, black wings
Thick pale bill
Usually seen in the canopy — bring binoculars
What it sounds like.
Raspy, robin-like carol — 'hoarser than a robin, less lyrical.' Contact call is a distinctive 'chick-burr.'
How it lives.
Canopy forager in mature oak and mixed hardwood forest. Gleans caterpillars from the underside of leaves. Nests high in oaks and hickories on horizontal branches.
The spec sheet.
- Status
- Summer breeder
- Size
- 6.3–7.5 inches
- Present in NJ
- May – September
- Native to NJ
- Yes
- Conservation status
- stable
- Family
- Cardinalidae
What it eats.
Diet often shifts dramatically between breeding season and the rest of the year — especially for insectivorous birds that pivot to native berries in fall and winter.
Summer / breeding season
Caterpillars (the dominant nestling food)
Beetles, moths, wasps, ants, cicadas
Native fruit as summer progresses (mulberries, cherries)
Fall / winter
Migrates to Colombia, Peru, Bolivia for winter
In fall before migration: cherries, serviceberries, and wild fruit to fuel migration
What it needs.
Native plants that feed this bird or provide shelter. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.
Native oaks (Quercus)
Larval host tree (feeds caterpillars)
Hickories
Larval host tree (feeds caterpillars)
Fruit / berry source
Wild black cherry
Fruit / berry source
Elderberry, mulberry
Fruit / berry source
Audubon · Doug Tallamy research · NWF National Wildlife
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