Scarlet Tanager look-alikes
Piranga olivacea
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Open the appSeveral birds can be mistaken for the Scarlet Tanager. Compare the key differences below to confirm your sighting.
Birds to compare
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
Key differences
Male Summer Tanager is entirely rose-red with no black wings or tail. Female Summer Tanager is duller yellow-orange, often with a more uniform color, and has a paler, larger bill. Scarlet Tanager females are more olive-yellow with dusky wings/tail. The song of the Summer Tanager is smoother and more melodic, less hoarse than the Scarlet Tanager.
Western Tanager
Piranga ludoviciana
Key differences
Male Western Tanager has a red head, bright yellow body, and black wings with two prominent wing bars (one yellow, one white). Female Western Tanager is yellowish with dusky wings and two wing bars. Scarlet Tanagers lack wing bars.
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Key differences
Male Northern Cardinal is entirely red with a prominent crest and a thick, conical orange-red bill. Scarlet Tanagers lack a crest and have a paler bill. Cardinals are also year-round residents in much of their range, while Scarlet Tanagers are migratory.
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