Scarlet Tanager

Scarlet Tanager

Piranga olivacea

Introduction

In breeding plumage the males are a striking scarlet colour, but records of this extremely rare visitor in Britain & Ireland, which are mostly in October, are typically of duller, yellower, juvenile birds.

Key Stats

Status
Very rare
Very rare
Weight
Weight
28.5g
BTO Records
BTO Records
81 records
Population and distribution stats for:

Movement

Information about Scarlet Tanager movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

European movements

EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Scarlet Tanager, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Survival and Longevity

Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Scarlet Tanager

Classification and Codes

  • Order: Passeriformes
  • Family: Cardinalidae
  • Scientific name: Piranga olivacea
  • Authority: JF Gmelin, 1789
  • BTO 5-letter code: SCATA
  • Euring code number: 17880

Alternate species names

  • Catalan: piranga escarlata
  • Czech: tangara šarlatová
  • Danish: Skarlagentangar
  • Dutch: Zwartvleugeltangare
  • Estonian: kirde-leektangara
  • Finnish: tulitangara
  • French: Piranga écarlate
  • German: Scharlachkardinal
  • Hungarian: skarláttangara
  • Icelandic: Skarlatstáni
  • Irish: Tanagair Scarlóideach
  • Italian: Tangara scarlatta
  • Latvian: melnsparnu tanagra
  • Lithuanian: žalsvoji piranga
  • Norwegian: Rødpiranga
  • Polish: piranga szkarlatna
  • Portuguese: sanhaço-escarlate / sanhaço-d'asa-preta
  • Slovak: piranga šarlátová
  • Slovenian: škrlatna piranga
  • Spanish: Piranga escarlata
  • Swedish: scharlakanstangara

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.
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