Page created on : April 9, 2000
Last updated : May 31, 2005

The scarlet tanager is classified as a songbird, yet it is not noted for the same rich arias or rhythmic twittering of its relatives. The tanager song resembles that of an American robin, although slightly hoarser. The scarlet tanager, however, does have much to sing about. Among the songbirds, they are the most migratory.

The male's plumage is a dramatic scarlet with black wings and tail. The female is a lovely olive-green colour with dark grayish-brown wings, tipped with the same green as its body. In the winter, the male dons a colour scheme to match the female. The beak if the scarlet tanager is stout and has a downcurved ridge and notch, or tooth.

The birds build nests in trees 18 to 30 metres above the ground and feed on insects and some fruit. Tanagers ususally lay four blue and brown spotted eggs which are incubated by the female over a two week period. The males assist with the rearing of the chicks.

Scarlet tanagers are small birds that prefer the deciduous woodlands in the southern regions of Ontario and Quebec, although they have been found in mixed forests and occasionally in other neighbouring provinces. The scarlet tanagers take up their winter residence in South America, from Columbia to Bolivia.