How to attract scarlet tanagers to your yard
Scarlet Tanagers respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 37 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. It arrives only to breed in 37, such as Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois and 31 more, so set up before spring arrival.
Plant what scarlet tanagers use
These native plants are tied to the Scarlet Tanager in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winterberry Ilex verticillata | Shrub | 36 | Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter. |
| Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea | Tree | 34 | Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed. |
| Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana | Tree | 32 | Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter. |
| Smooth sumac Rhus glabra | Shrub | 31 | Red fruit heads hang on through winter. |
| Staghorn sumac Rhus typhina | Shrub | 30 | Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food. |
| White oak Quercus alba | Tree | 28 | Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food. |
| Flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 25 | Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers. |
| Black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 20 | Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees. |
| Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 15 | Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load. |
| American elderberry Sambucus canadensis | Shrub | 6 | Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species. |
Your list covers 2 plant layers (shrub, tree). Layering matters: add structure around these — a shrub layer under the trees gives scarlet tanagers a safe approach. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Insects gleaned high in oaks; fruit in migration.
- Warm months
- Caterpillars, beetles, wasps and moths
- Cold months
- Migrates to South America
- At feeders
- Oranges and grape jelly (rarely, during migration)
Feeder style matters as much as food: oriole feeder with jelly cups and orange spikes is the first choice for this bird. A treetop bird that drops to birdbaths and jelly feeders during spring migration, especially after storms. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Shallow cup on a horizontal branch, 20–30 ft up.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 3–5 eggs
- Incubation
- 12–14 days
- Nestling period
- 9–15 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around April in Alabama but not until June in Wisconsin. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; a summer breeder won't appear until it returns in spring.
Frequently asked
What attracts scarlet tanagers to a yard?
Food they actually eat (oranges and grape jelly (rarely, during migration)), native plants such as Winterberry, Serviceberry, Eastern red cedar, clean water and suitable nesting cover: shallow cup on a horizontal branch, 20–30 ft up.
What plants attract scarlet tanagers?
Across the Scarlet Tanager's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting scarlet tanagers?
Nesting starts around April in Alabama and as late as June in Wisconsin. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Scarlet Tanager — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Scarlet Tanager life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Scarlet Tanager — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.