Summer Tanager

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Summer Tanager in Saguaro National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Summer Tanager sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 2,639 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: When is the best time to see Summer Tanager in Saguaro National Park?

June has the highest sighting rate for Summer Tanager in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

Piranga rubra

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyCardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies)
GenusPiranga (Piranga Tanagers)
SpeciesPiranga rubra (Summer Tanager)

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

at Saguaro National Park

2,639 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026

45,944 Verified sightings across all 93 parks From 2019 to 2026

June 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 Saguaro National Park

Piranga ludoviciana

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Piranga flava

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Piranga olivacea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

LC Endemic

Cardinalis cardinalis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Cardinalis sinuatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Passerina amoena

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Pheucticus melanocephalus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Passerina caerulea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Passerina versicolor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Spiza americana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Passerina cyanea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

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	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	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
37	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
38	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
39	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
40	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
41	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
42	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	~20%
43	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
44	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
45	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
46	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
47	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
48	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
49	Guadalupe Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
50	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
51	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
52	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
53	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
54	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
55	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
56	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
57	Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
58	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
59	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
60	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
61	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
62	Canaima National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
63	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
64	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
65	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
66	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
67	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
68	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
69	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
70	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
71	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	<5%
72	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
73	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
74	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	<5%
75	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
76	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
77	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
78	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
79	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
80	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
81	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
82	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
83	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
84	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
85	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
86	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
87	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
88	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
89	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
90	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
91	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	Insufficient data
92	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
93	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data

Quick answers

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

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Summer Tanager sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 2,639 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

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

June has the highest sighting rate for Summer Tanager in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Saguaro National Park

Summer Tanager

About the Summer Tanager

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Western Tanager

Hepatic Tanager

Scarlet Tanager

Northern Cardinal

Pyrrhuloxia

Lazuli Bunting

Black-headed Grosbeak

Blue Grosbeak

Varied Bunting

Dickcissel

Indigo Bunting

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Quick answers