The Scarlet Tanager is a medium-sized songbird native to eastern North America. The male Scarlet Tanager is known for its brilliant plumage, with bright red body feathers and black wings and tail. The female Scarlet Tanager is less vividly colored, with olive-green upperparts and pale yellow underparts. In this article, we will focus on describing the appearance of the adult male Scarlet Tanager during the breeding season when his colors are the most striking.
Body Size and Shape
The male Scarlet Tanager is approximately 6.5 to 7 inches in length with a wingspan of about 10 to 12 inches. They weigh between 0.7 to 1 ounce on average. The Scarlet Tanager has a compact, rounded body shape typical of other songbirds. The body and head are somewhat rounded while the wings are short and rounded as well. The tail is medium in length for a songbird. Overall, the male Scarlet Tanager has a robust, chunky appearance compared to other more slender songbirds.
Plumage Colors and Patterns
The most outstanding feature of the male Scarlet Tanager is its brilliant red plumage covering most of its body. The red plumage appears on the bird’s head, breast, belly, back, rump, and uppertail coverts. The shade of red ranges from a bright flaming scarlet to a deeper crimson red. In some lighting conditions, the red may take on an almost orange hue. The red plumage is slick and glossy, with a velvety texture. Against the red body, the wings and tail appear coal black. The wings do show some dark red feather edging when spread. The tail is slightly forked with pointed tips.
On the underparts, the red plumage transitions to a paler orange-red on the lower belly and undertail coverts. The wings and tail are an inky black that contrasts sharply with the scarlet red body plumage. The black coloration extends onto the alula or “thumb” wing feathers. The bill of the male is a deep midnight blue-black with a paler whitish lower mandible. The eyes are brown and the legs and feet are bluish-gray.
Seasonal Differences
The brilliant red plumage of the male Scarlet Tanager is at its peak during the spring and summer breeding season. In autumn, the feathers undergo a molt and both male and female Scarlet Tanagers shift to a duller greenish-yellow plumage. The male may retain some reddish coloration on the wings, tail, and head during this molt. By winter, the male’s plumage is predominantly olive-yellow with little to no red feathers remaining. The male Scarlet Tanager regains its full red breeding plumage through another molt in spring. The timing of molts and plumage changes relate to hormonal cycles and preparation for the breeding season.
Juvenile Appearance
Juvenile male Scarlet Tanagers look quite different from adult breeding males. Young males have plumage that resembles adult females but with some male characteristics. The upperparts are olive-green as in females but young male upperparts are brighter green. The underparts are pale yellow and may show some orange-red hues, unlike the plain yellow underparts of females. Juvenile male tails often show darker barring on the underside. The wings also display two inconspicuous bars or rows of spots. These juvenile male features help distinguish them from young females. Over their first year, the juvenile male plumage gradually shifts to the brilliant adult colors through molts. By early spring of their first year, they acquire the full scarlet red and black pattern.
Geographic Variation
The Scarlet Tanager’s plumage remains fairly consistent across most of its range in eastern and central North America. Only two isolated subspecies show some subtle plumage variations. The Scarlet Tanager subspecies P.o. cooperi found in the southeastern U.S has males with deeper blood-red plumage on the body contrasting more with the black wings and tail. The subspecies P.o. flammeus of the southwest U.S. and Mexico includes males with pale orange-red underparts instead of scarlet red. However, in most of the Scarlet Tanager’s range, the male breeding plumage remains a striking scarlet and black pattern.
Difference from Female Plumage
The plumage of the female Scarlet Tanager differs markedly from the more colorful male. Adult females have olive-green to olive-yellow upperparts. The underparts are a pale lemon-yellow. The wings are grayish-brown and the tail is olive-green with darker edging. Female tail feathers lack any barring unlike young males. The wings also lack wing bars. The female’s bill is orange-brown with a darker tip. The overall plumage is much more subdued than the male for camouflage and lacks any scarlet red or black colors. The duller female plumage helps conceal her from predators during nesting. The plumage differences between adult males and females are primarily related to breeding roles. The more vivid male’s red plumage likely helps attract mates and advertise territory while the female’s drabber plumage aids in nesting duties.
Interesting Facts About Male Scarlet Tanager Appearance
Here are some fascinating facts about the plumage and appearance of male Scarlet Tanagers:
– The red pigments in the Scarlet Tanager’s feathers are derivatives of carotenoids found in their diet. They cannot produce these red pigments internally like some bird species.
– Male Scarlet Tanager plumage glows brightly in ultraviolet light which may help attract females who see UV wavelengths.
– Molt studies show it takes around 135 days for a male to regrow a complete basic plumage including all flight feathers after breeding.
– The black color of the wings and tail results from a lack of pigment deposition that creates black melanin through structural feather effects.
– Juvenile males may start growing scattered red feathers on the head, rump, or belly within a few months after leaving the nest.
– Adult males replacing individual feathers through molt will sometimes grow in olive-yellow feathers resembling female plumage. This can create a patchy appearance.
– The exact shade of red varies not only between subspecies but also between individuals based on pigment levels, feather structure, and wear.
How the Plumage Relates to Habits and Habitat
The male Scarlet Tanager’s bright plumage color likely evolved in part due to the open deciduous forest habitat they occupy. The bright red would stand out against the greens and browns of an open canopy forest with plenty of sunlight. Females and immatures have more cryptic plumage better suited for concealment during nesting. The male’s delayed plumage maturation to scarlet red may reduce aggression from adult territorial males. The male’s red plumage signals fitness and competitiveness when seeking breeding territories and mates in spring. Their molt to dull yellow in late summer likely provides some camouflage in changing autumn foliage.
Calls and Songs
In addition to visual displays, male Scarlet Tanagers use distinctive vocalizations to communicate and attract mates. Both males and females sing, but males sing more frequently especially during breeding season. Their most common call is a raspy and scratchy “chip-burr” sounded when interacting with mates or alarmed. The male’s song is a series of 2–5 pairs of notes with the second note of each pair louder and more sharply enunciated, often described as “chicky-tucky-tucky-tucky-tucky”. This song has an insect-like buzzing quality. Males may sing this repetitive song persistently from high exposed perches when establishing a breeding territory. The songs are easily heard and complement the male’s striking appearance.
Behaviors and Displays
Male Scarlet Tanagers sing from prominent high perches and perform aerial displays to attract female attention. A singing male will frequently splay and quiver his tail feathers almost like shimmying. Occasionally, the male flies with shallow fluttering wing beats and spread tail while continuing to sing with displayed plumage. In a courtship display, the male bows and turns while mantling his wings forward around the female. Females choosing males may assess plumage brightness and patterning along with these visual and vocal displays that showcase male fitness. The male’s brilliant plumage combined with energetic singing and flying displays help ensure his competitive reproductive success.
Comparison to Other Tanager Species
The Scarlet Tanager belongs to the bird family Cardinalidae and is the only North American member of the genus Piranga. Its closest relatives are other tropical Central and South American tanagers that also display bright red plumages as males.
Some examples include:
– Hepatic Tanager – Males have deep red bodies and black wings and tails much like the Scarlet Tanager. It overlaps in some SW range areas.
– Summer Tanager – A slightly smaller all-red tanager lacking black wings found in southern and central U.S.
– Western Tanager – Has a red head and partly red body with yellow and black wings and tail plumage unlike Scarlet Tanager.
The Scarlet Tanager stands out as the most vibrantly colored tanager native to eastern and central North America. Its plumage likely evolved to converge with the visual displays of tropical relatives.
Conclusion
In summary, the adult male Scarlet Tanager is one of the most brilliantly colored birds in eastern North American forests. Their scarlet red body plumage contrasts dramatically with black wings and tail. This flashy plumage reaches its peak during the spring breeding season and attracts the attention of female tanagers. The males’ songs and energetic flying displays complement the vivid plumage. While young males and females are more dully colored, the male’s red and black pattern is unmistakable in the Scarlet Tanager’s forested habitat. This unique coloration sets them apart from other tanager species. Their bright spring plumage announces the male Scarlet Tanagers return as a colorful harbinger of the breeding season.