There are many species of birds that have a combination of black, white and red plumage. Based on the description provided of a black back, white belly and red throat, the bird in question sounds like it could potentially be one of several species. Some possibilities include:
Scarlet Tanager
The scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea) is a medium-sized songbird found in eastern North America. Adult males are brightly colored with deep red bodies, black wings and tail, and white bellies. The red plumage extends up the neck and ends with a black face and throat. Females are yellowish with olive-colored wings and tails. Scarlet tanagers breed in deciduous and mixed forests across eastern North America. They overwinter in South America.
Vermilion Flycatcher
The vermilion flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) is a small, strikingly colored tyrant flycatcher found in western North America. Adult males have bright red crowns, underparts and tails, with brownish-black upperparts and wings. Females and immature birds are pale brown overall with some streaked reddish-brown plumage. Vermilion flycatchers are found in arid to semi-arid habitats across the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Summer Tanager
The summer tanager (Piranga rubra) inhabits forests across much of the eastern and central United States. Adult males are mostly red overall with darker red wings and tail. Females are yellowish on the underparts and olive above. The male’s bright red head transitions to a darker reddish throat that contrasts against a paler pinkish belly.
Western Tanager
The western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) is found across western North America. Adult males have bright yellow bodies contrasted by black wings, tails and backs. The yellow transitions to orange around the face before ending in a black throat. Females are yellowish green overall, lacking the male’s dramatic contrasting plumage. Western tanagers occupy open coniferous forests.
Hepatic Tanager
The hepatic tanager (Piranga flava) is found in mountain forests in the southwestern US and Mexico. Adult males have bright red bodies, black tails and wings, and white bellies like the scarlet tanager. However, hepatic tanager males also have darker red throats that contrast against the paler red underparts. Females are yellowish-green with olive upperparts.
Cooper’s Tanager
Cooper’s tanager (Rhodospingus frenatus) is found in Central America and northern South America. Males are mostly dark black and red. They have glossy black crowns, upperparts, tails and wings contrasting with bright red underparts, including on the throat. Females are olive above with dull yellowish underparts and whitish throats.
Flame-colored Tanager
The flame-colored tanager (Piranga bidentata) inhabits forests in Central America and northern South America. True to its name, adult male flame-colored tanagers have striking bright red plumage covering most of the head, body and tail. Their wings and backs are black, which contrasts against the red throat. Females are olive-yellow overall with some warm orange tones on the underparts.
Red-crowned Ant Tanager
The red-crowned ant tanager (Habia rubica) is found from Mexico to Colombia. Appropriately named, males have bright red crowns and throats that contrast with black faces and olive-green upperparts. Their underparts are reddish with some black streaking. Females are duller overall with olive upperparts and paler, streaked underparts with less red on the head.
Hepatic Parakeet
The hepatic parakeet (Pyrrhura calliptera) is a small, mostly green parrot with a red throat patch found in the Amazon Basin. Males have bright cherry-red patches extending from the throat down the upper breast, bordered by blue malar stripes. Otherwise, they are bright green with black wing edges. Females have less extensive red throat patches.
Crimson Rosella
The crimson rosella (Platycercus elegans) is a colorful parrot native to eastern and southeastern Australia. Crimson rosella subspecies have various red and blue color patterns, but some have black backs, red throats, and paler whitish bellies. The pale throat contrasts against the richer red plumage on the head, wings and tail.
Detailed Overview of Top Contenders
Based on the description and geographic region, the most likely bird species is the scarlet tanager. However, there are a few other similar sounding species that warrant a more detailed overview below:
Scarlet Tanager
- Adult males have bright red bodies with black wings and tails, and white underbellies
- Females are yellowish-olive with darker wings
- Found in deciduous and mixed forests in eastern North America
- Winters in South America
- Male plumage has high contrast between deep red body, black wings/tail, white belly
- Male has red extending up neck and ending in black face/throat
Vermilion Flycatcher
- Small songbird of the southwestern US and Mexico
- Adult males have bright red plumage on underparts, crown and tail
- Upperparts and wings are brownish-black
- Females are pale brown overall with streaked reddish tones
- Male has high contrast between bright red and black plumage
- Found in more open, arid habitats than forest-dwelling tanagers
Summer Tanager
- Found in forests of central and eastern US
- Males are mostly red with darker red wings and tail
- Yellowish-olive females
- Male has solid red head transitioning to darker throat
- Less contrast between red body and wings than in scarlet tanager
Western Tanager
- Found in western North America
- Male has bright yellow body and black wings, tail and back
- Face transitions from yellow to orange to black throat
- Females are yellowish-green overall
- Male lacks the red and white plumage described
Hepatic Tanager
- Southwestern US and Mexico
- Male has red body, black wings/tail, white belly like scarlet tanager
- Also has darker red throat contrasting with paler red underparts
- Females greenish-yellow with olive upperparts
- Less common and widespread than scarlet tanager
Scarlet Tanager Matches Description Best
Based on the details provided in the original description, the scarlet tanager matches most closely. The male scarlet tanager exhibits nearly an exact match with its red body, black wings and tail, and white underbelly. The red coloration extends up the neck before transitioning to a black face and throat.
This plumage pattern creates high contrast between the red, black and white sections – more so than in other similar tanagers. The scarlet tanager is also found in the right geographic region, being common across eastern deciduous forests in North America.
Other candidates like the vermilion flycatcher or hepatic tanager have some correct elements, but are not as widespread in the right habitat. The vermilion flycatcher belongs to a different family and lives in more open, arid regions of the southwest. The hepatic tanager has overlapping range with scarlet tanagers, but is less common and widespread.
Scarlet Tanager Identification
Identifying the scarlet tanager in the field requires paying attention to the male’s distinct red, black and white plumage pattern:
- Bright red body and head transitioning to a black face/throat
- Wings and tail are black
- Underbelly is pale white
- Found in deciduous or mixed forests of eastern North America
- Song is a musical series of staccato-like phrases
Females and immature males have yellowish bodies with darker olive-colored wings and tails. They lack the bright red plumage. However, first-year males may show some red feathers mixed in as they transition to adult plumage.
Scarlet tanagers often forage higher in the forest canopy, so spotting their flash of color may require careful watching overhead. Their songs are sometimes easier to detect from below before you pinpoint the bird visually.
Similar Species
It’s important to rule out similar species when identifying any bird:
- American redstart – Males have black bodies with reddish patches on wings/tail and orange sides. Females are grayish overall.
- Northern cardinal – Males are red overall with a prominent crest and thick red bill. Females are pale brown. No white belly.
- Rose-breasted grosbeak – Males have black heads, white bellies, and reddish undersides unlike the tanager’s solid red body.
- Summer tanager – Male’s red body transitions to darker wings but lacks the tanager’s extreme contrast between red, black and white sections.
With good visibility, the scarlet tanager’s distinctive plumage makes identification straightforward. Just beware of low light conditions or brief glimpses that may obscure the subtleties between it and similar species. Taking the time to observe carefully is key.
Scarlet Tanager Facts
Here are some additional facts about the scarlet tanager worth knowing:
- They migrate at night, using constellations to navigate to wintering grounds.
- Their genus name Piranga comes from the Brazilian Tupi name for these birds, which translates to “colored bird.”
- Pairs sometimes migrate together and reunite on the wintering grounds.
- They build cup-shaped nests on horizontal branches high in trees.
- Nestlings hatch with yellow skin and quills before growing juvenile plumage.
- Scarlet tanagers occasionally interbreed with other Piranga tanagers where ranges overlap.
- They eat mainly insects captured on short sally flights from the canopy perches.
- Common predators include falcons, accipiters, squirrels, snakes, and brood parasites like brown-headed cowbirds.
Learning more details about a bird’s life history, behavior and ecology always aids identification and appreciation of our avian neighbors. The scarlet tanager certainly carves out a memorable niche across the deciduous forests of eastern North America.
Conclusion
In summary, the scarlet tanager’s distinctive male plumage featuring a red body, black wings and tail, white belly, and black face and throat makes it the probable species matching the original description. While other tanagers share some correct colors, the scarlet tanager’s specific patterning and widespread distribution in appropriate habitat gives it the highest likelihood. Carefully observing key identification traits and ruling out similar species remains important for positive ID. Beyond the flash of color, learning more about the scarlet tanager’s biology and behavior deepens one’s connections with an iconic songbird of eastern forests.