Identifying the Summer Tanager: A Yellow Bird in Georgia

Not a Goldfinch—It's a Female Summer Tanager

A homeowner in Newton County spotted a yellow bird that didn't match a goldfinch. Naturalist Charles Seabrook identified it as a female summer tanager (Piranga rubra).

Key Identification Features

• Color: Females are olive-yellow overall, brighter on the underparts. Males are entirely rosy-red.
• Bill: Stout, pale, slightly hooked—distinct from the conical bill of finches.
• Behavior: Often seen perched quietly in mid-canopy, sallying out to catch insects (especially bees and wasps).
• Song: A robin-like warble; call is a distinctive "pik-i-tuk-tuk."

Habitat and Range

Summer tanagers breed across the Southeast in open woodlands, forest edges, and parks. They arrive in April, nest in May–June, and depart by October for Central and South America. They're a delightful sign of spring in Georgia gardens.