Bird · GBIF taxon 2488485
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubraAlso known as Summer Redbird
Summer tanagers are specialized insectivores famous for hunting bees and wasps directly out of the air. Adult males are clothed in vivid strawberry-red plumage year-round, while females display a warm mustard-yellow hue. They spend the breeding season high in the canopies of southern oak and pine forests before migrating to Central and South America for the winter.
MigratorySongbirdInsectivore
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Wasps
- Bees
- Cicadas
Predators
- Cooper's Hawk
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Domestic Cat
ThreatsHabitat fragmentation, window collisions during migration
HabitatsOpen deciduous forests, oak-pine woodlands, orchard borders
Life span4–8 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyCardinalidae
- SpeciesPiranga rubra
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Listening for Calls: Listen for a distinctive, staccato 'pit-i-tuck' call ringing from high forest canopies.
- Observing Feeding Behavior: Watch mature trees for birds sallying out to catch stinging insects, then rubbing off stings on branches.
- Creating Habitat: Maintain tall native shade trees and berry-bearing shrubs to attract migrating songbirds.
Close Relative (c) Félix Uribe, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Spencer Hurt, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Spencer Hurt · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Christoph Moning, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christoph Moning · cc-by
Family Member Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
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