A bright red male scarlet tanager with black wings among green leaves. — Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Scarlet Tanager

Piranga olivacea

A brilliant red-and-black songbird that hides high in the forest canopy; its song sounds like a robin with a sore throat.

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About the Scarlet Tanager

Scarlet tanagers are 6.3 to 6.7 inches long. In spring and summer, adult males are brilliant red with black wings and tails; females and winter males are olive green. They breed in large forests and parks in eastern North America and spend winter in lowland forests near the Andes in South America. They eat insects and berries high in the trees.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Piranga olivacea^[1]
Size: 6.3 to 6.7 inches long; 10- to 11-inch wingspan.^[1]
Diet: Insects and berries.^[1]
Habitat: Large forests, woodlands, parks and gardens; lowland forests in winter.^[1]
Where it lives: Breeds in eastern North America; winters in South America near the Andes.^[1]
Group life: Mixed flocks in migration and winter.^[1]
Babies: 2 to 5 eggs, usually 3 or 4.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2025).^[2]

Fun facts

A scarlet tanager's song sounds like a robin with a sore throat.^[1]
Both male and female scarlet tanagers sing.^[1]
Males turn from red to olive green after the breeding season.^[1]

Vocabulary

canopy: The top layer of a forest, made of treetops.
migrate: To travel from one region to another with the seasons.
plumage: A bird's feathers.
songbird: A perching bird that can sing; songbirds make up about half of all bird species.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Bird HouseSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Scarlet tanager.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/scarlet-tanager (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Piranga olivacea (Scarlet Tanager).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22722466/136809279 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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