Summer Tanager
Summer TanagerSummer TanagerSummer TanagerSummer Tanager

Summer Tanager

Piranga rubra

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve
1,413 Verified sightings at Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve From 2019 to 2026
43,838 Verified sightings across all 82 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Summer Tanager

The summer tanager (Piranga rubra) is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.

The summer tanager was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Fringilla rubra. Linnaeus based his description on the "summer red-bird" described and illustrated by Mark Catesby in his The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands which was published in 1729–1732. Catesby gave the location as Carolina, Linnaeus specified America; the type location is now South Carolina. The summer tanager is the type species of the genus Piranga that was introduced by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1808. The genus name Piranga is from Tupi Tijepiranga, the name for an unknown small bird; the specific rubra is from Latin ruber meaning "red".

Two subspecies are recognised: Adults have stout, pointed bills and measure 17 cm (6.7 in) in length... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve

Scarlet Tanager
LC

Scarlet Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga olivacea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
White-winged Tanager
LC

White-winged Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga leucoptera

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Western Tanager
LC

Western Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga ludoviciana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Rose-throated Tanager
LC

Rose-throated Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga roseogularis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Black-faced Grosbeak
LC

Black-faced Grosbeak

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Caryothraustes poliogaster

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Indigo Bunting
LC

Indigo Bunting

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina cyanea

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
LC

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Blue-black Grosbeak
LC

Blue-black Grosbeak

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cyanocompsa cyanoides

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Painted Bunting
LC

Painted Bunting

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina ciris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Red-crowned Ant-Tanager
LC

Red-crowned Ant-Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Habia rubica

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Blue Grosbeak
LC

Blue Grosbeak

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina caerulea

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Dickcissel
LC

Dickcissel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spiza americana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~40%
2 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
3 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~40%
4 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~30%
5 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
~30%
6 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~30%
7 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
8 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
9 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~30%
10 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
11 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
12 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
13 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
14 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
15 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
16 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
17 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
18 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~30%
19 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
20 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
21 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
22 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
23 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
24 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
25 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
26 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
27 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
28 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
29 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
30 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
31 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
32 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
33 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
34 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
35 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
36 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
37 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
38 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
39 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
40 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
41 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
~20%
42 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
43 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
44 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
45 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
46 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
47 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
48 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
49 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
50 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
51 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
52 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
53 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
54 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
55 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
56 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
57 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
58 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
59 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
60 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
61 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
62 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
63 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
64 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
65 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
66 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
67 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
68 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
69 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
70 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
71 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
72 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
73 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
74 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
75 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
76 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
77 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
78 Isla del Coco National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
79 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
80 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
81 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
Insufficient data
82 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Summer Tanager in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve?

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Summer Tanager sighting in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, based on 1,413 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Summer Tanager in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve?

October has the highest sighting rate for Summer Tanager in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.

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