Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

Specy

Scarlet Tanager

Birds

The scarlet tanager is a medium-sized American songbird that resides in thick deciduous woodlands and suburbs. Despite its common name, it was reclassified in 2009 from the tanager family into the cardinal family, alongside its close relatives, after research showed the group belonged there instead; its plumage and vocalizations resemble other cardinal-family birds, though it lacks the thick, conical, seed-cracking bill typical of many cardinals.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Insectivore 2
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 3
Relationship to People
Natural Pest Control 4
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Derived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status.
Scientific Name
Piranga olivacea 1
Conservation Status
Least Concern 1
Population Estimate
2,600,000 1
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Adult males are crimson-red with black wings and tail. 1
Comparison
NatureServe Rank
G5 Secure 5
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 4
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Passeriformes, Taxa
Source Catalogue of Life

In Biome

Temperate Forest, Biomes
Source Scarlet tanager, Wikipedia
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Bolivia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Canada

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Colombia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Ecuador

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

North America

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Norway

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Peru

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

South America

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

United States

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Venezuela

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Scarlet tanager, Wikipedia
  • Scientific classification
    Piranga olivacea
  • Infobox: status
    LC
  • Threats and status
    As of 2025, the global population of scarlet tanagers is estimated to be 2.6 million mature individuals
  • Description
    Adult males are crimson-red with black wings and tail.
  • In Biome: Temperate Forest, Behavior
    Their breeding habitat is large stretches of deciduous forest, especially with oaks, across eastern North America.
View the Source
2. EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014)
3. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
4. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Piranga olivacea (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
  • Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
    Scarlet tanagers eat insects that some humans may consider to be pests.
  • Conservation Status: CITES
    CITES No special status
View the Source
5. NatureServe Explorer: Piranga olivacea
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)
Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)
"roundedGRank": "G5"
View the Source
Wikidata: Scarlet Tanager
Wikidata Q1193366, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: PasseriformesView the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.