Back to Field Guide
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
Audubon Illustration
John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.
Migration Flyway
Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species
Last Spotted Near You
About the Summer Tanager
The summer tanager (Piranga rubra) is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Piranga rubra
- Family
- Cardinals and Allies
- Order
- Passeriformes
Similar species
Other members of the cardinals and allies family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.
- Black-faced Grosbeak Caryothraustes poliogaster
- Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus
- Blue Bunting Cyanocompsa parellina
- Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea
- Blue Seedeater Amaurospiza concolor
- Blue-black Grosbeak Cyanoloxia cyanoides
- Crimson-collared Grosbeak Periporphyrus celaeno
- Dickcissel Spiza americana
- Flame-colored Tanager Piranga bidentata
- Gray-throated Chat Granatellus sallaei
- Hepatic Tanager Piranga flava
- Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
Know when the Summer Tanager turns up near you
How rare bird alerts work →Gear for spotting Summer Tanager
Optics
Best Binoculars for Beginners
You don't need to spend a fortune. These four pairs will get you birding confidently on day one.
8 min readRead guide
Cameras
Cameras for Bird Photography
From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.
12 min readRead guide