Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea), Peppersauce Canyon, Pima County

This adult male Scarlet Tanager was discovered by John Yerger, Morgan Jackson and Doug Jenness on 07 June 2008 in Peppersauce Canyon near Oracle.  John managed to get pictures at some distance but that should be sufficient to document the record.

Scarlet Tanager is a casual transient with about 20 total records in Southeastern Arizona.  In this plumage it is not only unmistakable but is one of the most intensely colored birds in the world. 

Scarlet Tanager is an ABC Review Species. 

Submitting photos to AZFO does not constitute reporting a rare bird for consideration as an official record. To ensure that a record becomes official, details or photos of Sketch Details Species should be sent to the Editors of North American Birds and a full report of Review Species should be submitted to the Arizona Bird Committee. Most rare birds are under _documented and subsequent observers of a rarity are always encouraged to submit reports and additional photos, especially for birds that are challenging to identify.

07 June 2008, photos by John Yerger