Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea), Upper Madera Canyon, Santa Cruz County

This male Scarlet Tanager was reported by David Quesenberry on 17 June 2012 along the Kent Springs Trail in Madera Canyon. It was photographed by Laurens Halsey on 18 June 2012.  This bird was singing on territory and at least once had an altercation with a male Western Tanager.

Casual with about twenty-five records for Arizona. Usually less than annual; however, there are eight additional reports pending the the Arizona Bird Committee since 2010.  Perhaps increasing?

Unmistakable in this plumage.

The Piranga tanagers (along with a couple of other tropical tanager genera) were recently reclassified and removed from the Tanager family (Thraupadae) and placed in the same family as Cardinals, Grosbeaks and Buntings (Cardinalidae), indicating we need to think of them as thin-billed Cardinals.  That leaves Western Spindalis (casual in South Florida) as the only true tanager (Thraupadae) that occurs in North America.  Be sure to look for the Piranga tanagers under their new family if you are trying to find them in the Photo Archive or Sound Library. 

18 June 2012, photos by Laurens Halsey

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