Migration Illustrated
PRESENTS
The Trekking Scarlet Tanager
Written by Warren T. Planker
Photographs by wildlife and nature photographer Jim Edlhuber / windowtowildlife.com
Scarlet tanagers, Piranga olivacea, are migratory songbirds with a long-distance annual migration route from eastern North America from August through mid-October to their wintering grounds in South America, where summer is warming up. They prefer to nest and forage in the upper canopy, often deep in deciduous and mixed forests.
Scarlets are sexually dimorphic; breeding males have brilliant blood-red bodies and jet-black wings, whereas non-breeding males and females have olive bodies and dark but not pure-black wings. Breeding males molt to the same olive-yellow body in winter, but their wings remain jet-black.
Males typically arrive north first, choosing their territory in an appropriate tall tree, where they sing to warn off other males and attract females. They’ll fly to low branches where they can be easily seen by females in the canopy and stretch out their necks and wings to show their bright color.
Females build cup-shaped nests far above ground in locations where they are hidden from view. They lay and incubate their eggs alone while males protect their territory. Eggs will hatch from June to July, and both parents will feed and raise the chicks.
Scarlet tanagers are seasonally monogamous, staying with one mate until it’s time to head south again for the winter.
While the hoarse robin-like song of scarlet tanagers can often be heard during springtime in the forest, these elusive medium-sized birds are difficult to find from the ground. They are among the most difficult birds to spot in dense forest canopies.
Despite travelling up to 6,000 miles and crossing the Gulf of America twice on their annual migration, Scarlet tanagers remain relatively common. Their nonstop 15 to 20 hour flight over open water occurs mostly at night, though they are diurnal when in their wintering and breeding grounds. Many songbirds migrate at night to avoid daytime predators, to take advantage of calmer and cooler air, and to use celestial cues for navigation.
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
Length: 7″ inches Average (17 cm)
Weight: Approximately 1 ounce (28 grams)
Lifespan: 5 to 6 years in wild (estimated)
Breeding: May through Early August
Clutch: 3 to 5 eggs (typically 4)
Status: A species of Least Concern
Winter Grounds: Northern South America
Nesting Grounds: Eastern North America
For many years, Scarlet tanagers were originally categorized in the tanager family. However, due to recent advances in DNA technology, Scarlet tanagers have now been placed in the cardinal, or Cardinalidae family. Currently listed as a species of least concern, the Scarlet tanager has a strong global population estimated to be well over two million individuals.
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A photographic journey along the migration routes of the world’s most fascinating species.
