Scarlet Tanager
Scarlet TanagerScarlet TanagerScarlet TanagerScarlet Tanager

Scarlet Tanager

Piranga olivacea

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Saguaro National Park
23 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
15,621 Verified sightings across all 78 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Scarlet Tanager

The scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea) is a medium-sized American songbird in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). Until 2009, it was placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), but it and other members of its genus have since been classified as belonging to the cardinal family. Breeding males have bright red plumage with black wings and tails, while females are yellow-olive. Outside the breeding season, males develop plumage similar to that of females, although their wings and tails remain darker.

The species breeds mainly in large deciduous forests in eastern North America. It migrates through Central America to spend the winter in forests along the Andean foothills of northwestern South America. Scarlet tanagers feed mainly on insects, but they also eat fruit when it is available. Habitat fragmentation can increase nest predation and brood parasitism, and populations are declining in some areas. However, the species is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The genus name Piranga is from Tupi Tijepiranga, the name for an unknown small bird, and the specific olivacea is from Neo-Latin olivaceus, "olive-green". Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Western Tanager
LC

Western Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga ludoviciana

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Summer Tanager
LC

Summer Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga rubra

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Hepatic Tanager
LC

Hepatic Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga flava

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Northern Cardinal
LC Endemic

Northern Cardinal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis cardinalis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Pyrrhuloxia
LC

Pyrrhuloxia

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis sinuatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Lazuli Bunting
LC

Lazuli Bunting

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina amoena

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

Black-headed Grosbeak

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pheucticus melanocephalus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Blue Grosbeak
LC

Blue Grosbeak

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina caerulea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Varied Bunting
LC

Varied Bunting

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina versicolor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Dickcissel
LC

Dickcissel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spiza americana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Indigo Bunting
LC

Indigo Bunting

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina cyanea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
LC

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Scarlet Tanager in Saguaro National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Scarlet Tanager sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Scarlet Tanager in Saguaro National Park?

October has the highest sighting rate for Scarlet Tanager in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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