Michigan · Summer breeder

Scarlet Tanagers in Michigan

When scarlet tanagers are present in Michigan, when they nest, which native Michigan plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 4a–6b yard.

Cardinals and allies (Cardinalidae)Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivacea

Status in Michigan: Summer breeder
Nesting window: May–July
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 4a–6b

When to expect scarlet tanagers in Michigan

Scarlet Tanagers are summer residents in Michigan, arriving shortly before nesting begins in May and leaving after the young are independent.

Humid continental, strongly shaped by the Great Lakes; colder and snowier in the Upper Peninsula.

Nesting in Michigan

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

A compressed nesting season; bluebirds usually manage one or two broods.

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

Native Michigan plants that attract scarlet tanagers

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

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Winter fruit.

Eastern hemlock

Tsuga canadensis · Tree

Seeds and dense winter shelter.

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.

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.

Feeding scarlet tanagers through the Michigan year

Top foods: Oranges and grape jelly (rarely, during migration).
In Michigan'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 Michigan year-round?

No. Scarlet Tanagers are summer breeders in Michigan and leave for the winter.

When do scarlet tanagers nest in Michigan?

Nesting in Michigan 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 Michigan?

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

Other backyard birds in Michigan

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird 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 Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird 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 Canada Jay 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 Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Field Sparrow Gray Catbird Lark Sparrow Hooded Merganser Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Palm Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Eastern Wood-Pewee Least Flycatcher 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 Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Black-backed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Dickcissel Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Bohemian Waxwing Yellow-billed Cuckoo Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's 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.