Migrating Scarlet Tanager

A flash of brilliant color brightened the forest canopy this week when a scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea) was spotted by a local photographer along one of our trails! During the breeding season, males are unmistakable with their vivid red plumage and jet-black wings, but females and fall migrants show more subdued olive-yellow tones. These songbirds spend most of their time high in the treetops, feeding on insects and fruit. By late summer and early fall, tanagers begin their journey south toward the forests of Central and South America, making sightings like this a special seasonal treat on the Mountain.

Photo by Matthew Giambra.