Summer Tanager Range, Habitat + Distribution

Summer tanager (red piranha) colorful. They are one of four American piranhas in the Cardinalidae family.

As their name suggests, these migratory songbirds visit the United States during the warmest months of the year before retreating to more tropical climates in winter. Do you want to know where they live and which habitats they prefer?

Summer tanagers live in deciduous woodland habitats from California in the southwest to New Jersey in the northeast. Keep an eye out for these birds from April to October each year as they hunt stinging insects between the branches.

Summer tanagers live in tropical North and South America during the winter. True to their name, these birds leave the United States in the fall and live almost forever in the summer. Despite the prominent coloration of the males, tanagers are relatively unobtrusive.

However, birders can spot them by listening to the males’ songs and distinctive calls, especially in the days and weeks after arriving at the breeding grounds.

Read this article to learn where summer tanagers live and where you might spot these colorful summer songbirds from the south!

Summer tanagers live in deciduous woodland habitats from California in the southwest to New Jersey in the northeast

What is the range of the summer tanager?

Summer tanagers are New World songbirds that live in North and South America. These neotropical migrants moved between northwestern South America and the American Midwest. They reach the southernmost tip of Bolivia and migrate north as far as Iowa.

There are at least two subspecies of summer tanager. eastern subspecies, red piranha, with the widest distribution, from east Texas to the Atlantic coast, then to the Northeast and Midwest. These birds spend their non-breeding season in the south from Bolivia to southern Mexico.

western subspecies, Pr Kuperi, has a more limited range and occurs in the southwestern United States. These birds are larger, paler and have heavier beaks than their eastern counterparts. This subspecies does not reach South America, but migrates to western Mexico during the winter.

Read on for a more in-depth look at the range of the summer tanager across the United States.

The female summer tanager’s plumage is still fairly bright, but nothing compares to the bright red of the males

Where do Summer Tanagers live in the US?

Summer tanagers travel to the United States to breed. From about mid-April, the birds arrive and spread across the southern and eastern United States, from southern California to Florida and north to Pennsylvania.

The northern limit of their breeding range extends from the Atlantic coast of New Jersey west to Nebraska and then south to Texas. In the Southwest, the summer donnagle extends into California, across Arizona to southern Utah, and up the Rio Grande River in New Mexico.

Where do Summer Tanagers live in Canada?

Summer tanagers do not migrate to Canada. However, the scarlet and western dongles reach eastern and western Canada, respectively. Males of these species are quite unique, but female tanagers are relatively easy to confuse.

You can usually see summer tanagers in the US from mid-April

What is the summer tanager’s habitat?

Summer tanagers are primarily birds of deciduous woodlands and forest edges. They prefer fairly open habitats and are often found on wooded edges or in the spaces between them. However, they are uncommon in fragmented and disturbed forest habitats.

In the drier west, they are frequent in cottonwood and willow groves along river courses, and in wooded areas at higher elevations.

They winter in South America utilizing a variety of forest and woodland habitats, from coastal mangroves to Colombia’s alpine forests.

Forest edges and deciduous woodlands are the easiest places to find summer tanagers as they prefer these habitats

How rare is it to see a summer tanager?

Summer tanagers are fairly common in suitable habitats. Of course, these migratory birds are absent half the year, so birders can only see them during the warmer months.

Despite their bright colors, tanagers are difficult to spot due to foraging in the upper and middle levels of the tree canopy. Female summer tanagers are far less conspicuous than males.

Where is the best place to watch Summer Donnagle?

Summer tanagers are widespread and fairly common in open deciduous woodlands. Here are some great examples of natural areas where you can find these amazing birds:

• Great Morongo Canyon Reserve, California
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
• Bankhead National Forest, Alabama
• Weymouth Woods-Dunes Nature Preserve, North Carolina
• Cache River State Nature Reserve, Illinois

Summer tanagers are not common backyard birds, although they will visit fruiting bushes in yards near their favorite habitat. Large properties with lots of deciduous trees, such as oaks, may also attract these colorful birds.

Summer tanager bathing in water

When is Summer Tanagers coming out?

Summer Tanagers are active during the day, so it’s no use looking for them after dark. However, they also rest in the heat of the day. Keep an eye out for these birds in the early morning and early evening when they are most active.

Will Summer Tanagers stay in one place?

Summer tanagers are a highly migratory species, which means they don’t stay in the same place all year. During the summer breeding season, pair up and stay near the nest for at least two months.

At least some summer tanagers return to the same nesting and wintering sites in subsequent years, but more research is needed.

Summer Tanager (male) eating suet at a bird feeder

Where do summer tanagers live in the winter?

Winter is the non-breeding season for summer tanagers, and most leave the United States in mid-October. Birds in the west fly south over dry land, while birds in the east make the treacherous journey across the Gulf of Mexico. By November, most summer tanagers have reached their wintering grounds.

Summer tanagers overwinter in the following countries:

• Mexico
• Belize
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• El Salvador
• nicaragua
• Panama
• Colombia
• Venezuela
• ecuador
• Peru
• Bolivia
• Suriname
• French Guiana
• Brazil

How do summer tanagers survive the winter?

Summer tanagers know that the best way to survive the winter is to escape to the tropical south. Their wintering range extends north and south of the equator, where there is little temperature difference throughout the year.

They occupy a variety of wooded habitats at this time of year, from parks and gardens to mangroves and high-altitude mountain slopes.

Summer tanagers typically eat exclusively on stinging insects such as wasps and bees, but they often supplement their diet with fruit in winter.

Summer tanager (female) in an April birdbath, south central Louisiana

Where do Summer Tanagers live in the summer?

Summer is the breeding season for summer tanagers. The entire population migrates north to the United States in the spring and continues until early fall.

The species is most widespread in the southeastern United States, although they do venture into the lower Midwest and make a good living in areas of the Southwest where water is better, especially along major drainage lines.

Do tanagers live in groups in summer?

Summer tanagers are usually solitary. The only time you’re likely to see these birds together is in the spring when they are in pairs, or when groups congregate around food sources while migrating.

They are territorial in the United States, with adult males protecting their nesting and feeding grounds. Both sexes are likely to be territorial in winter, although their habits during the non-breeding season require more research.