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Tanagers, Cardinals & Allies

Scarlet Tanager

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Male scarlet tanagers in breeding plumage are red all over, with jet black wings and tail. They’re 7 inches long and weigh less than an ounce. The stout bill is grayish olive, generally darker in all seasons than the summer tanager’s much larger, yellowish bill.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

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The rose-breasted grosbeak is a songbird of the eastern deciduous woodlands. Spending much of its time in the treetops, the beautiful male rosebreast is often heard before it is seen. The rich melodic warbling song of the rose-breasted grosbeak is often described as sounding like a robin that's had singing lessons.

Painted Bunting

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One of the most strikingly patterned of all North American birds, the male painted bunting, with its blue head, red underparts, and yellow-green back more than lives up to its old name of Äúnonpareil,Äù, the unequaled one. Even the female, in shades of yellow and green, is unlike any other North American bunting.

Lazuli Bunting

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The lazuli bunting is the western counterpart of the eastern indigo bunting and the two hybridize where they overlap in the Great Plains. The blue head and upperparts give the bird its name, but it is the white belly, the rusty breast, and the white wingbars that separate it from any other North American buntings.

Northern Cardinal

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Northern cardinals are among the most regular backyard visitors in the eastern half of the United States, a nearly constant presence as long as sunflower seed is available. Even if they are not coming to feeders, they are likely to be hanging around the yard, because cardinals have adapted well to humans and suburbs. In fact, the cardinal’s fondness for the ornamental plants we favor has helped the cardinal population grow and expand.

Indigo Bunting

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The sister species of the western lazuli bunting, the indigo is common throughout the eastern part of the US and extreme southern Canada and in parts of the Southwest. The males are a deep, rich blue and, except in good light, appear black in the field.

Blue Grosbeak

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Named for its two most obvious field marks, the deep blue color and the thick, powerful bill, it is the heavy brown wingbars that set it apart from similar species. Found in summer throughout most of the southern two-thirds of the United States, the breeding range has been moving northward for more than 25 years. Its favored habitats are thickets, hedgerows, orchards, and overgrown fields with small shrubs.

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