84 SCARLET TAN ACER. 



Scarlet Tanager: Piranga erythromelas. 



Length 7^ inches. 



Male, bright scarlet, except wings and tail, which are 

 black. 



Female, olive-green above, greenish-yellow below. 



Resident (not common) from April 28 to October 7; win- 

 ters in Central and northern South America. 



This brilliant beauty is a northern bird and has no 

 fancy for the lowlands about Washington, but as the 

 country rises north and west of the city one is occa- 

 sionally seen, and as far out as Rockville and Sandy 

 Spring, he is not uncommon. During the spring* 

 migration he is abundant everywhere, and a common 

 and picturesque sight is a flock of Scarlet Tanagers 

 flitting about in the blossoming dogwood trees. The 

 males precede the females by several days, and no one 

 would guess that the demure leaf-tinted birds follow- 

 ing along by themselves belong to the gay, stylish 

 company ahead. 



The Tanager's scarlet coat is a shining mark for 

 bird enemies, both animal and human, as the beauty 

 doubtless knows, for he always greets intruders with 

 an anxious, querulous chip-churr quite at variance with 

 his joyous tree-top song a swinging song which 

 bears a strong resemblance to that of the Robin. 



While the natural habitat of Tanagers is secluded 

 woodland, they sometimes come close to dwellings 

 to build, evidently seeking protection from Crows and 

 other enemies. Their nest is frequently on the lower 

 branch of a large tree, and is likely to overhang a 

 path or wood-road. 



Scarlet Tanagers will immediately desert an unfin- 

 ished nest if they find themselves watched, and in 

 studying their operations one must be exceedingly 

 wary to keep them for neighbors. The nest is built 



