Kentucky · Summer breeder

Scarlet Tanagers in Kentucky

When scarlet tanagers are present in Kentucky, when they nest, which native Kentucky plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 6a–7b yard.

Cardinals and allies (Cardinalidae)Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivacea

Status in Kentucky: Summer breeder
Nesting window: May–July
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 6a–7b
Range note: Breeds mainly in wooded hills.

When to expect scarlet tanagers in Kentucky

Scarlet Tanagers are summer residents in Kentucky, arriving shortly before nesting begins in May and leaving after the young are independent. Breeds mainly in wooded hills.

Humid subtropical, from the Appalachian plateau in the east to the Bluegrass and the Mississippi lowlands in the west.

Nesting in Kentucky

Across Kentucky, scarlet tanagers typically nest from May–July. Plan around that window: April for setup, July for clean-out.

Hot, humid summers.

Scarlet Tanagers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, eastern red cedar, serviceberry for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Native Kentucky plants that attract scarlet tanagers

Of the regional native plants we track for Kentucky, these 8 provide food or cover scarlet tanagers use:

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.

Staghorn sumac

Rhus typhina · Shrub

Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Feeding scarlet tanagers through the Kentucky year

Top foods: Oranges and grape jelly (rarely, during migration).
In Kentucky's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.

Full diet breakdown for scarlet tanagers · Best feeder for scarlet tanagers

Frequently asked

Are scarlet tanagers in Kentucky year-round?

No. Scarlet Tanagers are summer breeders in Kentucky and leave for the winter. Breeds mainly in wooded hills.

When do scarlet tanagers nest in Kentucky?

Nesting in Kentucky typically runs May–July, with 1 per season. Clutches are 3–5 eggs, incubated for 12–14 days.

What native plants attract scarlet tanagers in Kentucky?

Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac, White oak, Bur oak are native plants in Kentucky that provide food or cover for scarlet tanagers.

Other backyard birds in Kentucky

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wood Duck Wild Turkey Northern Bobwhite Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Red Crossbill Field Sparrow Gray Catbird Lark Sparrow Hooded Merganser Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo White-eyed Vireo Eastern Wood-Pewee Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Eastern Whip-poor-will Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper American Woodcock Green Heron Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Black Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Barn Owl Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Horned Lark Blue Grosbeak White-winged Crossbill Yellow-billed Cuckoo Brewer's Blackbird Rusty Blackbird Rock Pigeon

Sources

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.