Jan., 1909. Birds of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 617 



281. Piranga rubra (Linn.). 



Summer Tanager. 



Distr.. "Eastern United States, to the Plains, north to southern 

 New Jersey and southern Illinois, casually north to Massachusetts 

 and Ontario, and accidentally to Nova Scotia. In winter, Cuba, 

 eastern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America to 

 Peru." (A. O. U.) 



Adult male: General plumage, rich rose-red; wings and tail, 

 fuscous brown, edged with rose-red; bill, pale. 



Adult female: Upper plumage, brownish olive; under parts, pale 

 brownish orange; no wing bars; under wing coverts, dull buffy 

 yellow. 



Length, 7.25; wing, 3.80; tail, 3; bill, .53. 



The Summer Tanager is a common summer resident in southern 

 Illinois, but is a rare summer resident in northern Illinois and Wis- 

 consin. 



Kennicott states that about the middle of the last century it 

 nested in Cook County. Prof. Ridgway found it common and breed- 

 ing at Mt. Carmel, 111. Mr. Nelson gives it as "A rare summer resi- 

 dent" in northeastern Illinois. Mr. Frank M. Woodruff records a 

 specimen seen by Mr. O. M. Schantz at Morton Park, Illinois, in 

 April, 1904. (Birds of the Chicago Area, 1907, p. 147.) 



Kumlien & HoUister say: "Rare, but evidently a regular summer 

 visitor in southern Wisconsin. It has been taken near Janesville 

 by Mr. H. L. Skavlem; and near Albion, twice at least, by Thure 

 Kumlien. In the Johnstown woods, between Milton and Johns- 

 town, it appears to occur regularly ever}'" summer, we having seen it 

 on a number of occasions, and taken specimens. Reported from 

 Racine by Dr. Hoy, and two specimens taken near Milwaukee, were 

 mounted by local taxidermists and were formerly in the old Natural 

 History Society collection." (Birds of Wisconsin, 1903, p. 204.) 



