Scarlet tanager

Piranga olivacea

A vivid Scarlet Tanager perches on a sunlit branch. Its fiery red plumage contrasts with deep black wings and fresh spring leaves. The photo’s style is bright, naturalistic, and painterly, with soft bokeh and luminous backlighting that highlights the bird’s brilliance.

Hale Reservation, Westwood, Mass.

  • “To be thrilled by a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring — these are some of the rewards of the simple life.” — John Burroughs

  • The Canopy Flame: Why This Scarlet Tanager Depends on Healthy Eastern Forests

    This Scarlet Tanager, glowing like a coal ember against fresh spring leaves in eastern Massachusetts, is more than a striking woodland visitor—it’s a quiet indicator of forest health. Tanagers spend most of their lives high in mature canopies, relying on intact, insect-rich forests to feed, breed, and raise their young.

    What makes this bird special?
    Scarlet Tanagers are long-distance migrants, traveling thousands of miles from the Andes to nest in our northeastern woodlands each spring. Despite their fiery plumage, they are surprisingly elusive, often staying hidden among dense foliage as they forage for caterpillars, moths, and beetles. Their presence signals a thriving, layered forest—one with healthy insect populations and minimal disturbance.

    The conservation challenge:
    Tanager numbers are declining due to habitat fragmentation, suburban development, and the loss of mature oak forests they depend on. Climate change is altering insect emergence, making it harder for them to time nesting with peak food availability. On their wintering grounds in South America, deforestation continues at a rapid pace, shrinking their critical habitat. Window collisions and outdoor cats add further pressures during migration.

    How you can help:
    • Support forest conservation and land trusts protecting mature woodland habitat
    • Plant native trees—especially oaks—to support the insects tanagers need
    • Reduce outdoor lighting during migration seasons
    • Keep cats indoors and bird-safe
    • Make your windows bird-friendly with decals or screens
    • Advocate for climate-smart forestry and habitat corridors

    Protecting the forests that Scarlet Tanagers rely on strengthens entire ecosystems—from the caterpillars in the leaves to the raptors above the canopy. This brilliant bird reminds us that healthy forests don’t just happen—they’re protected, restored, and cared for by all of us.

  • 1/800 sec at f/5.6

    700 mm

    ISO 250

    Canon EOS-1DX

    EF500mm f/4L ISM +1.4 extender