Arkansas Audubon Society’s bird of the month for May is the Summer Tanager. When we think of red in Arkansas, the first things that come to mind are the Hogs and Northern Cardinals, but the Summer Tanager should come to mind too. This bird embodies Arkansas, not only with its vibrant red color and melodic song but also with its love for the diverse habitats found across the state. While the males are Razorback red, females and juvenile Summer Tanagers are a rich yellow color, with darker markings in their wings. You can find Summer Tanagers in Arkansas year-round, but these birds become especially prominent in forest patches and around the edges of forests across the state from April to October. Even though these birds stand out visually, they are even more distinctive for their “pit-a-tuck” call and their beautiful melodic song that can be heard echoing through the forest. Summer Tanagers are common across the state of Arkansas and much of the Southeast. Although the population remains stable in the core of their range, they have shown declines in the western United States and in some localized parts of their range. Summer Tanagers have a diet that consists mostly of bees and wasps. These birds usually catch the insects in flight and then beat their food against a branch to remove the stinger before they eat it. You can also catch these birds, foraging for berries and fruits in their forest habitats. This diet helps fuel these birds’ long-distance migration down to Central America. Even on a diet primarily of insects, they often have fat reserves sufficient to make the trip. Keep an eye out for Summer Tanagers while you are out birding over the next few months and come back next month to find out what our Bird of the Month will be for June! (fb)

A few weeks ago we celebrated birding at our semiannual convention. We had a great time, with exciting birding trips, great speakers, and an all out good time. Between April 25th and 27th our members saw 165 species across Northwest Arkansas!!!!! We also got to enjoy great speeches about birds, bats, and pollinators by Leslie Cooper from @quailforeverar, Kevin Pierson with @batconservationinternational, and Northwest Arkansas birding expert Joe Neal. We also had fantastic music from @stillon_thehill. If you missed out, start planning now for our Fall Convention in Conway the weekend of 10/24/2025 and become a member to get our newsletter and be in the know of upcoming events for AAS: https://arbirds.org/AAS/Membership.aspx (fb)