  The Tanagers do not winter north of the Mexican border. In the summer there are four species that occur in the United States, only two of which inhabit this section of the country. The Scarlet Tanager is one of the most common of these. He arrives early in May and departs early in October. These beautiful birds are not often seen unless we look up into the trees. The male bird, with his truly startling colors, is a sight to remember. The wings and tail are a jet black and the rest of the body is a remarkable scarlet. The female is more modestly marked with olive. Song: The song of the Scarlet Tanager resembles that of a Robin, but is much more throaty or buzzy,—causing one to think of a Robin singing with a cold in his syrinx. John Burroughs has referred to it as a “proud gorgeous strain.” The tones have a truly “proud” quality, and well express the feelings of one who would like to lie idle in the woods to fully enjoy the content and peace of a warm spring day. They suggest the quiet of a tired bumblebee droning his way homeward at the end of a hard day’s work. The call note has been represented as “Chip-churr—chip-churr.” Nest: The nest of this bird is made of stems, rootlets, and strips of bark. It is sometimes quite loosely constructed and is placed upon the outspreading limb of a tree sometimes as high as forty feet. The eggs, three to five in number, are of a greenish blue blotched with a chestnut color. Food: The Scarlet Tanager destroys numerous harmful insects and is for this reason a very beneficial bird. Click-beetles, crane-flies, weevils and numerous caterpillars form a large part of his diet. The Tanager also eats some vegetable food such as small fruits, berries and the seeds of plants, most of which are wild. Remarks: The male Summer Tanager, which is another species, is of dull red above and a vermilion beneath. The female of this relation of the Scarlet Tanager is of a yellowish green above with a dull yellow upon the underside.
The Scarlet Tanager—7½ inches |
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