Bird Family Focus: Meet the Tanagers of North America

The tanagers are one of the most colorful family of birds in North America. Four species: the Summer Tanager, the Scarlet Tanager, the Western Tanager and the Hepatic Tanager all nest in North America.

#marksbackyardbirds, #backyardbirds, #tanagers

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Cover photo by
Adult male Summer Tanager Annette Talbot
Adult female Summer Tanager by Angelsparkly
Immature male Summer Tanager by Dave Tanner
Adult male Summer Tanager on feeder by John Bugg
Adult Male Scarlet Tanager by Bobby Muhamed
Adult female Scarlet Tanager by Brian Voorhees
Adult male Western Tanager by Robin Voorhees
Adult male Western Tanager 2 by Brian Voorhees
Adult female Western Tanager from Adobe Stock
Adult male Hepatic Tanager from Adobe Stock

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[carweee]

i saw a male scarlet tanager for the first time yesterday, way high up in the one tree behind my yard! what a beautiful red color. probably just passing through my area, southeast PA. thanks for the video!

[personalextension]

saw my first Tanager just last summer. Looking forward to more sightings in inland NW USA

[outdoorztime]

They're beautiful. I didn't know there were more than one to watch for, but I will be on the look-out. Great video you did for us. Thanks!

[deniseaukerman]

Thank you, Mark! Rare for me on the Washington State palouse, but I will be traveling to Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina next spring. Maybe I will see at least one of these Tanagers then.

[jeanietoo]

Great video. Just went down a tanager rabbit hole after rescuing one that was disoriented in my enclosed deck. He was a striking male Western and had to learn more. I've also seen the summer more often (I'm on a front range mountain in Colorado Springs and have a oak/pine forest for my backyard). Gonna keep an eye out for females.

[FolkatKaatClove]

Thank you for the info on the Summer Tanager. Not here up in NY's Hudson Valley. Scarlet's always a treat to see. My opinion: Hepatic color is Burnt Orange. Summer is Crimson.

[lupemelendez]

Great video. I believe I saw the female western tanager at my jelly feeder last year. Hope to see the male this year. Just this week I started seeing the black headed grosbeak. And last week for the first I saw two kinds of Juncos, the dark eyed junco and the Oregon junco, both males. Thanks again for the video.

[DavidPryor-pb]

Haven’t seen a tanager yet I live in st Mary’s ks. I saw my first ruby throated hummingbird of the season. today in st Mary’s Kansas. Got the hummingbird feeders filled. Waiting and excited for orioles to return

[maryannrodriguez]

I had one last year. Beautiful. Northwest Florida

[makeupaddict]

OOh these birds are so pretty. I'm about a yr in with my backyard bird feeding station but i've never seen any of those yet. (I'm in GA)

[maryannrodriguez]

Thank you so much for explaining it so well. I’ll keep an eye out now. I’ve seen them but thought they were cardinal

[sandracdesigns]

So interesting! I saw my first Summer Tanager last summer when I spotted it taking out wasps on a nest…made it an instant favorite! 😂 off topic, but have finally seen a Rose Breasted Grosbeak this migration and it looks like it is molting.

[pamgreen]

I had two female tanagers visit me this summer in western Kentucky. Both were yellow. The one today was getting some suet and a cardinal ran it off. 2 years ago I had a blotchy looking orange one. I googled and it matched a young male.

I have Grosbeaks that come through every spring and fall. The males show up first and then the next week the female will show up it’s like clockwork I love it!

[robertf]

Thank you. Now I understand. Red and yellow bird still here in the backyard by South Carolina

[deborahpearl]

I had one in my backyard this week, Elbridge new york

[harryodum]

Harry, Michigan I don’t believe I’ve ever seen those are here in southernMichigan Michigan… my house wren have finally showed up and they put their box by my bedroom window and a red tree. it is great to have the window open and wake up. To hear them when you wake up.

[mikebrittain]

Good video. I have not had any tangers in my yard yet. But i think one of these days i will. I am pretty close to the coast here in washington state. I have in the past seen them further inland. My newest first siteing in my yard was a brown headed cow bird, both male and female. I couple of little green birds the last few days but i cant get a good look at them. Looking for bugs in the blackberrys. Maybe they are kinglets. But i dont know. I have more gold crown and white crown sparrow than i did last year. Gold finches have started showing up. All of my oregon junkos have gone now. My scrubjays are gone now, , they left last year at this time and then came back with their young. My crows stopped coming, they must be off having babies also. A few more house finches have started coming, but i havent seen any purple finches yet. Anyway the newest addition to the herd. I made an impulse purchase of 3 six week old silver laced Wyandotte chickens.

[DavidPryor-pb]

Waiting for fall birds. I have 10 hopper feeders in yard. I use black oil sunflower seed I can’t figure out where birds are have a few house finches or is it purple finches in st Mary’s ks are not sure tufted titmouse. A couple of black capped chickadees they seem to be a year round Visitor in st Mary’s ks. Occasional cardinal. Maybe cause there is no snow maybe you have some insight in this Thankyou David

[RichardFerstandig]

Mark, I noticed when a bird is feeding their young, they eat something from the nest. What is it?

[RichardFerstandig]

Would you please show us where a birds ears are?