Summer Tanager

Piranga rubra

Summer — spring arrival to early fallSeasonal

The take

The all-red bird that isn't a cardinal — no crest, no mask, and it eats wasps for a living.

How to ID it

  • Adult male is entirely bright rose-red; female is yellow-green with a pale bill.
  • Chunky big-headed songbird with a large, thick, blunt-tipped bill.
  • Stays high in the forest canopy, sallying out to catch bees and wasps in midair; gives a distinctive 'pit-ti-tuck' call.

Field marks at a glance

Size
medium
Head
entirely red (male), yellow (female)
Call
pit-ti-tuck

Where & when

Summer — spring arrival to early fall

Learn more

Sources