Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Scarlet Tanager
Piranga olivacea
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) is a member of the Cardinalidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 28.2 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Cardinalidae Cardinals & Allies
- Genus Piranga
- Species olivacea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 28.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cardinalidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Male vs female
Strongly dimorphic: breeding male is brilliant red with black wings and tail, while the female is olive-yellow with darker olive wings and tail.
Juvenile appearance
Immatures resemble the olive-yellow female, with darker (blacker in young males) wings.
Breeding vs non-breeding
Non-breeding males molt to a female-like yellow-olive/greenish body but keep black wings and tail, unlike the red breeding plumage.
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Scarlet Tanager is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Scarlet Tanager is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) belongs to the Cardinalidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across North America. Its distribution covers NA sc, se Canada to se USA.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 28.2 g, with a wing length of about 9.3 cm and a tail of around 6.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Scarlet Tanager?
The Scarlet Tanager is a small bird that weighs around 28.2 g.
Where does the Scarlet Tanager live?
The Scarlet Tanager is found across North America with a range covering NA sc, se Canada to se USA, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Scarlet Tanager belong to?
The Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) belongs to the Cardinalidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Scarlet Tanager eat?
The Scarlet Tanager is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Scarlet Tanager migrate?
The Scarlet Tanager is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Scarlet Tanager endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Scarlet Tanager make?
1 real field recording of the Scarlet Tanager — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Scarlet Tanager's range?
The Scarlet Tanager has a mapped global range of about 2.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Cardinalidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.