Summer Tanager males are bright red birds with large chunky beaks. Females and juveniles are mainly yellow with hints of green on their backs.
- Piranga rubra
- Length: 6.7 in (17 cm)
- Weight: 1.1 oz (30 g)
Range
Summer Tanagers breed in southern and eastern states before heading to Central and South America for winter.
Habitat And Diet
You can find Summer Tanagers in open woodlands and they feed on bees and wasps in mid-flight. They catch them and kill them by beating them against a branch and rubbing the stinger off before eating them.
Summer Tanager Song:
Nests
Nests of Summer Tanagers are made by the females from grass and other plant material towards the end of overhanging branches. The nest is not very well constructed, but they hold around four eggs.
The eggs hatch in about ten days, and the young take another ten days to leave the nest.
Attract Summer Tanagers
Attract them to your backyard with berry bushes and fruit trees.
Fun fact:
Young Scarlet Tanagers are fed by their parents for another three weeks after leaving the nest, as they are cannot fly very well for a few more weeks.
