THE SCARLET TANAGER 
By WILLIAM DUTCHER 
The National Association of Audubon Societies 
Educational Leaflet No. 21 
“A little child was strolling through an orchard one bright morning in June, 
filled with mute wonder at the beauties felt, but neither questioned nor understood. 
A shout from an older companion, ‘There goes a scarlet tanager !’ and the child 
was straining eager, wistful eyes, after something that had flashed upon his senses 
for a moment as if from another world, it seemed so bright, so beautiful, so 
strange .” — Elliott Coues. 
The Tanagers are a large family (Tangaridce) , of distinctively Ameri- 
can birds, not known in the Old World. They are closely allied to the 
finches and also to the weaver-birds. Unlike these families, in which few 
of the species are gaudily dressed, the males, at least, of most of the 
tanagers are adorned with splendid colors in striking contrasts of red, 
black, golden yellow, bright green, orange, and other brilliant tints. As 
NEST AND EGGS OF THE SCARLET TANAGER 
Photographed by B. S. Bowdish 
a consequence these birds have suffered extensive persecution to furnish 
ornaments for milliners’ use, as formerly they contributed to the personal 
ornamentation of the savage races of Central and South America, whose 
barbaric taste has been adopted by too many civilized women. 
Tanagers are birds of forests and wooded places, where they usually 
travel about in small and restless parties. “The song, frequently heard in 
chorus,” says Evans, speaking of the family generally, “is mellow and 
pleasing, accompanied by chattering, whistling and chirping notes ; the 
diet consists of insects and fruit, even the latter being occasionally snatched 
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