The Tanagers do not winter north of the Mexican border. In the summer
there are four species that occur in the United States, only two of
which inhabit this section of the country. The Scarlet Tanager is one of
the most common of these. He arrives early in May and departs early in
October. These beautiful birds are not often seen unless we look up into
the trees. The male bird, with his truly startling colors, is a sight to
remember. The wings and tail are a jet black and the rest of the body is
a remarkable scarlet. The female is more modestly marked with olive.
Song: The song of the Scarlet Tanager resembles that of a Robin, but is
much more throaty or buzzy,--causing one to think of a Robin
singing with a cold in his syrinx. John Burroughs has referred to
it as a "proud gorgeous strain." The tones have a truly "proud"
quality, and well express the feelings of one who would like to
lie idle in the woods to fully enjoy the content and peace of a
warm spring day. They suggest the quiet of a _tired_ bumblebee
droning his way homeward at the end of a hard day's work. The call
note has been represented as "_Chip-churr--chip-churr_."
Nest: The nest of this bird is made of stems, rootlets, and strips of
bark. It is sometimes quite loosely constructed and is placed upon
the outspreading limb of a tree sometimes as high as forty feet.
The eggs, three to five in number, are of a greenish blue blotched
with a chestnut color.
Food: The Scarlet Tanager destroys numerous harmful insects and is for
this reason a very beneficial bird. Click-beetles, crane-flies,
weevils and numerous caterpillars form a large part of his diet.
The Tanager also eats some vegetable food such as small fruits,
berries and the seeds of plants, most of which are wild.
Remarks: The male Summer Tanager, which is another species, is of dull
red above and a vermilion beneath. The female of this relation of
the Scarlet Tanager is of a yellowish green above with a dull
yellow upon the underside.
These Tanagers are truly tropical in their appearance. They are
animated touches of color that seem somehow to be foreign to our
Northern woods.
[Illustration: _The Scarlet Tanager--7½ inches_]