Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) Jack Reinoehl
(Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II) Oklahoma. 4/24/2009 © Elizabeth Rogers The typical breeding range of this species is to in New York and Wisconsin (Cutright et al. 2006, McGowan and Corwin 2008). In Ohio the south of Michigan. The nominate race and Indiana, this tanager starts to appear widely breeds in the deciduous woodlands of the about 50 to 100 miles north of the Ohio River. southeastern United States and the western race North of there, it is found in only about 1% of cooperi in riparian habitat in the southwestern the blocks within 100 miles of Michigan in United States and northern Mexico (Howell and those states (Castrale et al. 1998, Peterjohn and Webb 1995). Its winter range extends from Rice 1991). Breeding Bird Survey data shows it Mexico to South America; this is the most likely reaching its greatest density of occurrence south tanager to be found in the eastern United States of the Ohio River (Sauer et al. 2008). in winter (Robinson 1996).
In MBBA I, the Summer Tanager was found in Distribution eight blocks in seven counties. Five of these At the time of MBBA I, the Summer Tanager seven counties were in the extreme southern was “not known to nest in Michigan” (Adams tier; breeding status of probable was reported 1991). This was still the case at the start of only from Hillsdale County, the remaining MBBA II (Chartier and Ziarno 2004). In 2006 being reported as possible. In MBBA II, only and 2007, a pair of Summer Tanagers was three counties reported this species – Berrien, present at Warren Dunes State Park in Berrien Kalamazoo and Washtenaw – with nesting County. In 2007 nesting was confirmed there confirmed in Berrien County and a status of with many observing the successful nesting possible in the other counties. (Dombroski 2008). In other areas at the latitude of Michigan, this species is also essentially Between the two atlas periods, another unknown as a breeder. In Ontario, the Summer incidence of probable nesting occurred in the Tanager was thought to be “likely a rare, state two years before the start of MBBA II. In occasional or sporadic breeder ... although Hillsdale County, one-half mile north of the definitive evidence has not been found.” It was point where the St. Joseph River crosses the located in only three squares in the first Ontario Ohio state line, a pair of Summer Tanagers was atlas and two in the second, with all records discovered in early June of 2000 (Byrne 2001). close to Lake Erie or Lake Ontario (Reid 2007). These individuals were seen into July but no It was similarly scarce or absent during atlasing
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) Jack Reinoehl additional evidence of nesting was observed by Conservation Needs any of the numerous birders visiting the area. No conservation needs are evident range-wide, On 10 May 2001, a male reappeared at this as Breeding Bird Survey trends vary by region location and remained into June (Reinoehl 2001, (Sauer et al. 2008), and Partners in Flight Byrne 2002), but no female was detected (pers. estimates the North American population at 3.3 obs.). This was the same location where in million (PIF 2007). Declines are evident only in 1987 the only observation of probable status riparian habitats of the southwestern U.S. was recorded from MBBA I. (Robinson 1996).
Breeding Biology In its primary status in Michigan as a spring vagrant, Summer Tanagers appear throughout May with some sightings in late April. In Ohio, the few known egg dates are in June (Peterjohn and Rice 1991). At Warren Dunes State Park, Berrien County, a female was observed carrying food on 23 July 2007 (C. Barragar, pers. comm.).
Abundance and Population Trends (Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II) Populations of the Summer Tanager are stable or increasing over most of its range according to Breeding Bird Survey data (Sauer et al. 2008). Good rates of increase in population in some areas where this species is numerous have resulted in a positive trend continent-wide.
In Michigan, the Summer Tanager is most likely to be seen in spring as a migrant that has wandered north of its usual range. It has recently been the most numerous of those passerine species that overshoot their destinations in spring migration, though its numbers vary substantially from one year to the next. It has been quite numerous in some recent spring seasons; Summer Tanagers were located in 11 counties in the spring of 2008, including a surprising six in the Upper Peninsula (Reinoehl 2008). With two pairs having been found in the state in the last decade, and significant numbers visiting the state regularly in the spring, it seems possible that this tanager could establish a small nesting population in Michigan in the coming years.
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) Jack Reinoehl
Literature Cited Peterjohn, B.G., and D.L. Rice. 1991. The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas. Ohio Department of Adams, R.J. 1991. Summer Tanager (Piranga Natural Resources. Columbus, Ohio, USA. rubra) Pages 543-544. in R. Brewer, G.A. Reid, F. 2007. Summer Tanager (Piranga McPeek, and R.J. Adams, Jr., editors. The rubra). Pages 532-533. in M.D. Cadman, Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan. D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage, and Michigan State University Press. East A.R. Couturier, editors. Atlas of the Lansing, Michigan, USA. Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Bird Byrne, A. 2001. Michigan Bird Survey: Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Summer 2000 (June-July). Michigan Birds Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario and Natural History 8(1): 19-46. Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Byrne, A. 2002. Michigan Bird Survey: Nature. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Summer 2001 (June-July). Michigan Birds Reinoehl, J. 2001. Michigan Bird Survey, and Natural History 9(1): 21-48. Spring 2001 (March-May). Michigan Birds Castrale, J.S., E.M. Hopkins, and C.E. Keller. and Natural History 8(4): 193-218. 1998. Atlas of Breeding Birds of Indiana. Reinoehl, J. 2008. Michigan Bird Survey, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Spring 2008 (March-May). Michigan Birds Division of Fish and Wildlife, Nongame and and Natural History 15(4): 150-183. Endangered Wildlife Program. Indianapolis, Robinson, W.D, 1996. Summer Tanager Indiana, USA. (Piranga rubra). Account 248 in A. Poole Chartier, A.T., and J. Ziarno. 2004. A Birder’s and F. Gill, editors. The Birds of North Guide to Michigan. American Birding America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Association. Colorado Springs, Colorado, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. USA. Sauer, J.R., J.E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2008. The Cutright, N.J., B.R. Harriman, and R.W. Howe. North American Breeding Bird Survey, 2006. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Results and Analysis, 1966-2007. Version Wisconsin. Wisconsin Society for 5.15.2008. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Ornithology. Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA. Research Center. Laurel, Maryland, USA. Dombroski, L. 2008. Michigan Bird Survey: Summer 2007 (June-July). Michigan Birds Suggested Citation and Natural History 15(1): 10-28. Howell, S.N.G., and S. Webb. 1995. A Guide Reinoehl, J. 2011. Summer Tanager (Piranga to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central rubra) in A.T. Chartier, J.J. Baldy, and J.M. America. Oxford University Press. Oxford, Brenneman, editors. The Second Michigan United Kingdom. Breeding Bird Atlas. Kalamazoo Nature McGowan, K.J., and K. Corwin, editors. 2008. Center. Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New Accessed online at:
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