Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
No other North American bird is as completely red as the Summer Tanager. Even its relative, the Northern Cardinal has a black mask to contrast with its red cloak. These tanagers are found across the southern United States from California to Florida, and in the eastern United States, northwest to Iowa and northeast to Delaware. Western populations inhabit riparian woodlands and, at higher elevations, mesquite woodlands. During winter these birds travel as far south as the middle latitudes of South America.

Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: Upper Gila River Valley near Cliff, New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2003:08:26 15:31 |
Location:
Catwalk |
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 |
File Name: JCD_0958SummerTanager |
© 2003 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: Charlston Bridge on the San Pedro River, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2003:08:28 15:53 |
Location:
Charleston Bridge |
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 |
File Name: JCD_1170SummerTanager |
© 2003 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: The Cienega at Arivaca. Part of the Buenos Aires NWR in rural Arizona. Southeast of Tucson. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:04 7:10 |
Location:
Arivaca Cienega |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D5X0506 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: Florida Canyon on the northern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains, east of Green Valley Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:30 9:03 |
Location:
Florida Canyon |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: SummerTanager-Male_D5X8955 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: Florida Canyon on the northern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains, east of Green Valley Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:30 9:00 |
Location:
Florida Canyon |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/160 |
File Name: SummerTanager-Male_D5X8934 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: Florida Canyon on the northern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains, east of Green Valley Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:30 9:00 |
Location:
Florida Canyon |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: SummerTanager-Male_D5X8921 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: Florida Canyon on the northern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains, east of Green Valley Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:30 8:59 |
Location:
Florida Canyon |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: SummerTanager-Male_D5X8906 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: Florida Canyon on the northern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains, east of Green Valley Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:30 8:58 |
Location:
Florida Canyon |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: SummerTanager-Male_D5X8905 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: Florida Canyon on the northern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains, east of Green Valley Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:30 10:04 |
Location:
Florida Canyon |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: SummerTanager-Female_D5X8977 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: The Cienega at Arivaca. Part of the Buenos Aires NWR in rural Arizona. Southeast of Tucson. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:04 7:10 |
Location:
Arivaca Cienega |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D5X0508 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: Florida Canyon on the northern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains, east of Green Valley Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:30 9:03 |
Location:
Florida Canyon |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: SummerTanager-Male_D5X8955 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: Up-close and personal in Florida Canyon on the northern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains, east of Green Valley Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:30 9:20 |
Location:
Florida Canyon |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: SummerTanager-Male_D5X8968 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 16:31 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D503534-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 16:31 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D503547-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: The blotchy coloration on this bird indicated it is an immature male, or first spring bird. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 17:13 |
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D505362-Atascosa-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: The blotchy coloration on this bird indicated it is an immature male, or first spring bird. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 17:17 |
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D505382-Atascosa-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: The blotchy coloration on this bird indicated it is an immature male, or first spring bird. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 17:18 |
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D505423-Atascosa-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: The blotchy coloration on this bird indicated it is an immature male, or first spring bird. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 17:18 |
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D505454-Atascosa-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: The blotchy coloration on this bird indicated it is an immature male, or first spring bird. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 17:18 |
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D505469-Atascosa-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: The blotchy coloration on this bird indicated it is an immature male, or first spring bird. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 17:21 |
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D505508-Atascosa-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: I met this male Summer Tanager where I spent the early morning at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior, Arizona. The day was sunny and the birds were friendly. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:26 10:14 |
Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D5X5505-Boyce-Thompson |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: I met this male Summer Tanager where I spent the early morning at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior, Arizona. The day was sunny and the birds were friendly. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:26 10:15 |
Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D5X5516-Boyce-Thompson |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: I met this male Summer Tanager where I spent the early morning at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior, Arizona. The day was sunny and the birds were friendly. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:26 10:19 |
Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D5X5563-Boyce-Thompson |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: I met this male Summer Tanager where I spent the early morning at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior, Arizona. The day was sunny and the birds were friendly. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:26 10:22 |
Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D5X5641-Boyce-Thompson |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: First year male Summer Tanagers have blotchy orange-red coloring placed erratically on their mom’s feather patterns. The Convention Center on South Padre Island, Texas is a first rate birding destination. I spent several hours in the morning and several more in the afternoon on this day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:30 15:18 |
Location:
Convention Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/2000 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D500892-South-Padre |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: First year male Summer Tanagers have blotchy orange-red coloring placed erratically on their mom’s feather patterns. The Convention Center on South Padre Island, Texas is a first rate birding destination. I spent several hours in the morning and several more in the afternoon on this day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:30 15:28 |
Location:
Convention Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/1250 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D500975-South-Padre |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: I must have missed the bright red male Summer Tanagers when they migrated through south Texas. Most of my encounters were with females, like this bird, or first year males. My second full day on South Padre Island, Texas was less birdy than my first day, but still I met some great birds. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:02 9:49 |
Location:
Convention Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D502048-South-Padre |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: Jerry and I enjoyed our Friday visit to the riparian grove next to the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico so much, we returned on Monday to the bosque, as locals call it. We met male Summer Tanagers as we explored our way along the hiking and biking trails that weave through the Cottonwood and Mulberry trees. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:18 11:02 |
Location:
Tingley Beach |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D508774-TingleyBeach-ABQ |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: On Friday, my friend Jerry and I visited the riparian grove next to the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico is called a bosque. This First Year Summer Tanager was among the birds we met along the hiking and biking trails that weave through the Cottonwood and Mulberry trees. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:15 11:12 |
Location:
Tingley Beach |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: SummerTanager-1stYearMale_D507458-TingleyBeach-ABQ |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: I must have missed the bright red male Summer Tanagers when they migrated through south Texas. Most of my encounters were with females, like this bird, or first year males. My second full day on South Padre Island, Texas was less birdy than my first day, but still I met some great birds. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:02 9:49 |
Location:
Convention Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D502056-South-Padre |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: First year male Summer Tanagers have blotchy orange-red coloring placed erratically on their mom’s feather patterns. The Convention Center on South Padre Island, Texas is a first rate birding destination. I spent several hours in the morning and several more in the afternoon on this day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:30 15:28 |
Location:
Convention Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/1250 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D500975-South-Padre |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Summer Tanager(Piranga rubra) |
Description: I met this male Summer Tanager where I spent the early morning at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior, Arizona. The day was sunny and the birds were friendly. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:26 10:18 |
Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: SummerTanager_D5X5531-Boyce-Thompson |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |

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