Tag Archives: summer tanager nc

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert

The Summer Tanagers are back in NC

By Sally Siko

Happy to spot another first of the year bird, a Summer Tanager!
I found this handsome fella while birding at Cape Fear Shiners Park in Lillington NC. I’d heard his clucking call coming from the tree line along the ball fields and was stoked to catch a good look along with a few photos from such a close range!
Usually these guys tend to stick around in the upper canopy of the trees so to see one at nearly eye level was a real thrill.



The Summer Tanager is the only bird in the western hemisphere boasting entirely red plumage from head to tail.
But where does this bright red plumage come from?
It’s all about the carotenoids.
These carotenoid compounds produce the red colors of birds and are acquired through their diet, and then processed in the body into pigments that are deposited in the growing feathers.
If a bird has a shortage of carotenoids, from poor diet or poor health, its feathers won’t develop their full color or can produce yellow or orange colorations instead of that vibrant red hue.


Summer Tanagers breed across the state of North Carolina yet are not found in the higher elevations of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
There are most commonly found in the southeastern part of the state preferring mixed deciduous forest and stands of long leaf pines.
They can also be found nesting in residential areas in suburban neighborhoods, which is pretty cool since they show up in backyards more often than their cousin the Scarlet Tanager.
Look for them from now through early October.

By the way, I’ve added more than 80 new birding tour dates to my Best Life Birding trip schedule.
Check out the calendar below and book your next birding adventure with me today!


Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

A Summer Tanager encounter in NC

-Sally Siko

Look up!
One of the most beautiful birds here in North Carolina is the Summer Tanager.
I spotted these two while leading a couple birding tours this past month in central NC.
These striking red birds are easy to spot (even in the treetops) with that vibrant plumage.The males are crimson colored with a few bits of orange feathers mixed in during molting periods while the females are dressed in a lovely yellow and warm brown plumage.


As shown in this series of photos, their diet mainly consists of insects and they are particularly fond of eating bees and Katydids.
They’ve got a particular way of eating their six legged prey, which includes bashing the insect against a branch, and then eating the head first.
These birds have a sweet tooth too which means you can attract them to your own backyard by offering orange or berry flavored suet and and jelly at your feeders. When out in the field, look for them hunting for a meal in the mid canopy layers of the trees in deciduous woods, from longleaf pine stands to oak forests.

The Summer Tanager is currently making its way back south for the winter. Though they are found throughout the state, they’re most numerous in the central and eastern regions.
They’ll only be here in North Carolina for another week or two so get out there and see them while you can.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Summer Tanagers have returned to North Carolina

During the first week of May in central NC, the woods begin to fill up with the sounds of bird songs. It’s a symphony of whistles, chirps and chortles but with one call in particular that sounds out above all others.That is the familiar cluck-chirp of the Summer Tanager!
I spotted this handsome fellow this morning while birding at the Brumley Nature Preserve in Chapel Hill, NC.Swooping in low from branch to branch, he was very curious about my presence in his woods.
Normally Tanagers stick to around 20ft up in the tree canopies so it was really neat to get to see this bird at eye level for a change.



Did you know that the male Summer Tanager is the only entirely red colored bird found in the United States? Northern Cardinals and Scarlet Tanagers come close however both of those species also have black feathers on their bodies.
* A few bits of orange feathers may mixed in during molting periods. This guy seems to be just coming into his breeding plumage.All three species get their bold red hues from carotenoid compounds which produce the red (and sometimes yellow) colors seen in the birds feathers. These compounds are acquired through consuming berries and are then processed in the body into pigments that are deposited in the growing feathers.



When they’re not snacking on fruit, their diet mainly consists of insects and they are particularly fond of eating bees. You can even attract them to your yard by offering suet and and jelly at your feeders.Summer Tanagers are generally spring and summertime residents of the central and eastern regions of the Carolinas.They’ll hang around until September before migrating south to Mexico, Central and South America.
That being said, there are small but growing numbers of Summer Tanagers that stick around for the entire winter in the eastern part of the state provided that they have a reliable food source available to them via a feeder.Pretty cool huh?

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Summer Tanagers in North Carolina

By: Sally Siko

Each spring, the woods begin to fill up with the sounds of bird songs. It’s a symphony of whistles, chirps and chortles but with one call in particular that sounds out above all others.
That is the familiar cluck-chirp of the Summer Tanager!
The sound of these gorgeous birds calling to one another in the forest is an unmistakable signal to mark the changing season.



Did you know that the Summer Tanager is the only entirely red colored bird found in the United States? Northern Cardinals and Scarlet Tanagers come close however both of those species also have black feathers on their bodies.
All three species get their bold red hues from carotenoid compounds which produce the red (and sometimes yellow) colors seen in the birds feathers. These are acquired through their diets (mainly through fruit), and are then processed in the body into pigments that are deposited in the growing feathers.

Summer Tanagers are generally spring and summertime residents of North Carolina.
They arrive in April and hang out until September before migrating south to Mexico, Central and South America. That being said, there are small but growing numbers of Summer Tanagers that stick around for the entire winter in the eastern part of the state provided that they have a reliable food source available to them via a feeder.
Pretty cool huh?

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Summer Tanagers at the Pee Dee NWR

One can hardly hike more than a few minutes in the woods here in central NC without hearing the cheerful call of the Summer Tanager.
This was the case when I spotted this male singing in the trees at the Pee Dee NWR in Wadesboro NC last week. He was easy to find with that bold red plumage, especially when he landed on the bare branches of a dead tree near the shoreline of the lake.
Such a gorgeous bird!

Did you know that the Summer Tanager is the only entirely red colored bird found in the United States? Northern Cardinals and Scarlet Tanagers come close however both of those species also have black feathers on their bodies.
All three species get their bold red hues from carotenoid compounds which produce the red (and sometimes yellow) colors seen in the birds feathers. These are acquired through their diets (mainly through fruit), and are then processed in the body into pigments that are deposited in the growing feathers.

Summer Tanagers are generally spring and summertime residents of North Carolina.
They arrive in April and hang out until September before migrating south to Mexico, Central and South America. That being said, there are small but growing numbers of Summer Tanagers that stick around for the entire winter in the eastern part of the state provided that they have a reliable food source available to them via a feeder.
Pretty cool huh?
🙂

Oh btw, I’ve posted new birdwatching tours to the Pee Dee NWR (where I photographed this Summer Tanager) here on this website.
Wanna join me?
Check out the link below for booking details.

Birding Tours at the Pee Dee NWR

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the full frame beast of an SLR, the mighty @canonusa
#5Ds

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

The Summer Tanagers are back in North Carolina

One of the most beautiful birds here in North Carolina is the Summer Tanager. These striking red birds are easy to spot even in the treetops with that vibrant plumage.
The males are crimson colored with a few bits of orange feathers mixed in during molting periods while the females are dressed in a lovely yellow and warm brown plumage.



The Summer Tanager is currently making its way back into the Triangle for the breeding season. Though they are found throughout the state, they’re most numerous in the central and eastern regions.
Their diet mainly consists of insects and they are particularly fond of eating bees.
You can even attract them to your yard by offering suet and and jelly at your feeders.
When out in the field, look for them hunting for a meal in the mid canopy layers of the trees in deciduous woods, from longleaf pine stands to oak forests.



These beauties will stick around North Carolina until mid September so their is plenty of time for us to enjoy them over the next few months!
🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the full frame beast of an SLR, the mighty @canonusa
#5Ds

Field Notes, Instagram Birding, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Summer Tanagers at Harris Lake Park, New Hill North Carolina

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Took a quick birding trip this morning to Harris Lake Park in New Hill, N.C. Thankfully it wasn’t as hot today as it’s been lately, plus it was cloudy outside which was a nice change! One of the prettiest birds I found was this male Summer Tanager hanging out in the Maple trees near the parking lot. I watched him for a few minutes as he made his way through the leaves hunting insects. Did you know that Summer Tanagers eat bees and wasps? They also consume of lots of other insects too such as cicadas, mealworms, katydids and grasshoppers throughout the spring and summer. However, during the mid-late summer months, they will try to build up their fat content in preparation for their autumn migration ahead. This means that fifty percent or more of its diet consists of fruits and berries during this time of the year. If you would like to attract Summer Tanagers to your backyard, the best way to do that is to provide them with the fruits and berries they relish. They are also quite fond of grape and raspberry jelly! In addition, here are some of the plants that provide fruits and berries relished by Summer Tanagers as they prepare to embark on their long flight to Central and South America in October: blueberry, blackberry, grape, hawthorn, flowering dogwood, rough-leaf dogwood, pokeberry, and black gum. While it might be too late to add these plants to your garden this summer, now is the time to plan ahead for next year. The birds will thank you for it! Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame SLR, the @canonusa #5Ds

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Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Summer Tanagers in Fuquay Varina

Male Summer Tanager

A couple of evenings ago, I was grilling on my patio when I noticed a male and female Summer Tanager fly up into an oak tree in my backyard.
While the male was stunning, it was the female that drew my attention.

Female Summer Tanager


She was carrying some grass in her beak so I knew immediately that she was building a nest. Happily this was one of the rare times I actually had my camera sitting next to me on my patio table (while cooking dinner nonetheless lol) so o dropped my spatula and picked up the Canon to see if I could get a few shots.
Incredibly she actually sat there for a few minutes before flying off into another tree right on my property line. I opened the lid of the grill (to make sure that my dinner wouldn’t burn) and walked over to the tree to see if I could find her.


Lo and behold, there she was sitting on her nest! Right there at nearly eye level!! I quickly backed up about 25 feet so it’s not to spook her and then pointed my camera lens into the leaves, towards the nest.


Their breeding habitat is open wooded areas, especially with oaks, across the southern United States which describes my yard perfectly. They usually build their cup shaped nest’s on a horizontal tree branch as this sweet little bird did.
Swipe to the next photo in the post to see the female with a beak full of grass and a quick shot of her peeking out from the leaves while on her nest!

Photo by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Birdwatching News, Field Notes, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Summer tanager Autumn Migration will start soon

Summer tanagers are out and about here in N.C. With fall migration just a few weeks away, they search relentlessly for food in the upper canopy.
These lovely birds can be seen moving along tree branches scanning for bugs, but they can also hover in midair to spot insects from hanging leaves or snap them up in midair.
They’re voracious insect-eaters, and are known for preying on wasps, bees, and other stinging creatures. Caterpillars, cicadas, flies, and other insects are also on the menu.
In the summer, small fruits are eaten when available too 🙂
Photo by @sally_siko .
.