Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
The Summer Tanager is a bee and wasp specialist; it catches them in mid-air and rubs them against a branch to remove the stinger before eating.
- Scientific name
- Piranga rubra
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Cardinalidae › Piranga
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Open deciduous forests, woodlots, and riparian woodlands.
- Diet
- Insectivorous specialist (bees and wasps); also consumes beetles, cicadas, and small fruits like mulberries.
- Range
- Southern United States, Mexico, Central America, Northern South America
- Size
- Length: 17 cm; Wingspan: 28-30 cm; Weight: 30g
- Lifespan
- 4-5 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation on breeding grounds and heavy pesticide use which reduces prey availability.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and shy. Best observed with binoculars to avoid disrupting their foraging. If an injured bird is found, use a towel to place it in a ventilated box and contact a local licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Keep a safe distance of at least 15 feet from nesting sites.
The summer tanager ( Piranga rubra ), is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.
Photo: Félix Uribe, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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