About: Scarlet Tanager

• Name: Scarlet Tanager
• Profile:
  

  Scarlet Tanager here! I may be a common species of the eastern forest interior but there is nothing common about my coloring. I am striking with my vibrant red feathers and black wings (if I do say so myself).  In fact, rumor has it there was a poem written for me by James Russell Lowell with the famous line “Thy duty, winged flame of spring, is but to fly and love and sing.” Ok - later it was determined he was writing about an Oriole but between you and me I think I look more like a flame than the Oriole. And yes, I was originally misclassified in the Tanager family of birds and then it was determined I was actually in the Cardinal family but I’m sure that happens to a lot of birds…