Attracting tanagers to your backyard can be a rewarding challenge for bird lovers. These colorful songbirds, including species like the Scarlet Tanager, Summer Tanager, and Western Tanager, to the United States each year, arriving in the spring and summer to breed. Unlike common backyard birds that readily visit feeders for seeds, tanagers primarily feed on insects and fruit, making them a bit trickier to attract. However, with the right food sources, habitat, and a little patience, you can increase your chances of spotting these striking birds in your yard.
How To Attract Tanagers
Five tanager species regularly visit the U.S. during the spring and summer. Unlike many backyard birds, they won’t be lured in by birdseed or birdhouses. Instead, use these seven tips to cater to their specific preferences and increase your chances of attracting them.
1. Offer Fresh Fruits
Seeds are a very small part of a tanagers normal diet, so regular backyard seed feeders are unlikely to interest them. One thing tanagers do love is fruit! When it comes to offering fruits at a backyard bird feeder, two of the easiest things to put out are oranges sliced in half, and small dishes of grape jelly. These are the same foods that can lure in orioles, so getting an oriole feeder can serve a dual purpose.
The North American tanagers tend to rely on fruits more in the fall and winter. During spring and summer their main focus is insects. However, when they first arrive back in the spring, they are low on energy from a long migration, and insects may not yet be plentiful. So early spring can be one of the best times to catch them when they are hungry and willing to try out more available food sources before disappearing to the treetops. Make sure your fruit feeders are out early in the season so you don’t miss them.
Moving the food into trees may also be helpful. Tap a long nail into a reachable branch with most of the nail sticking up. Then push and orange half onto the nail to create a simple orange holder. Having the fruit in a tree rather than at a busy bird feeding station may make the tanagers feel more secure and more willing to investigate.
2. Plant Natural Fruits
If you want to attract tanagers, planting native fruiting trees and shrubs is a great strategy. Tanagers love soft fruits and berries, especially during migration when they need extra energy. Whatever grows locally in your region is best. Some well-known tanager favorites are mulberry, wild cherry, serviceberry, hawthorn, elderberry and blackberries. Another bonus of fruiting trees like cherry and plum is that long before they produce fruit, the tree plays host to lots of caterpillar species. The tanagers will be attracted to these trees in spring and early summer for their insect bounty.
3. Keep Suet Feeders Out In Spring and Summer
Many people may only offer suet during the cold weather months, due to the tendency of the fat to melt and drip in hot weather. However many insect eating birds like tanagers and orioles can be tempted by the high protein and fat content of suet. For these fruit and insect lovers, a suet blend that incorporates dried fruits or mealworms may be extra enticing. Just check the label and look for “no-melt” suet to help avoid any hot weather mess.
4. Offer A Dish Of Mealworms
As insect eaters, tanagers rely on protein-rich food, especially during migration and nesting season. A dish of live mealworms or dried mealworms may catch the eye of a foraging tanager looking for an easy meal. To make them more appealing, try soaking dried mealworms in warm water to rehydrate them. Placing the dish near fruit feeders, nectar feeders, or natural cover can increase the chances of attracting tanagers. Bonus: mealworms can also attract bluebirds, wrens, robins, chickadees, and other insect-loving backyard birds.
5. Put Out A Bird Bath
Tanagers need water and are known to visit bird baths for bathing and drinking, especially during their spring and fall migrations. Choose a wide but shallow basin, and ensure the water is clean and refreshed regularly to keep it appealing. Adding a feature like a water wiggler, bubbler or solar fountain to create movement and the sound of running water can also help a lot to attract more birds. Since tanagers aren’t big fans of being out in a wide open area, try to place the bath near large trees or shrubs.
6. Offer a Perching Nectar Feeder
While hummingbirds are the main target of nectar feeders, many other birds enjoy the sugary sweet liquid. While not a regular occurrence, many people have reported tanagers visiting their hummingbird feeders for a snack. If you want to leave this possibility open in your yard, choose a nectar feeder with large perches at each port or a substantial perching ring.
Tanagers can’t hover like hummingbirds and they are quite a bit larger, so perches ensure they have a solid place to land. Also, their large beaks won’t allow them to access extremely small feeding holes, so remove bee guards and choose a feeder with slightly larger feeding holes so the tanagers can access the food.
7. Keep Your Tall Trees
Tanagers are birds of the high canopy. They do most of their insect hunting in the mid to upper levels of tall trees, and they choose tall, mature trees for nesting. If possible, a forest-edge type habitat in your backyard with a mix of tall trees, shrubs and some open areas has the best chance of attracting them.
Conclusion
Tanagers are often high in the canopy and can be shy. It can be difficult to attract them in urban and suburban areas if you don’t live near parks with mature trees or areas of forested land. But if you put out some of their favorite foods and offer a bird bath, especially in spring as they are arriving back from migration and need a quick stop for food and water, you might just get lucky. With the right mix of fruit, insects, and fresh water, your yard can become a seasonal hotspot for these vibrant birds. Even if they don’t stay long, catching a glimpse of a tanager up close is always a rewarding experience.
Melanie is an environmental scientist, birdwatcher, and amateur photographer. She’s been a birding hobbyist for years and loves feeding and learning about birds of all types. Over the years, Melanie has identified more than 250 bird species, with sightings of the Atlantic Puffin, Hawaiian Goose, and Arctic Tern among her most cherished.