The scarlet tanager is the most brilliantly colored of the North American songbirds. Although largely insectivorous and arboreal in its feeding habits, the scarlet tanager also eats fruits and berries and will occasionally forage for food on the ground. The scarlet tanager's diligence in providing for its young is often taken advantage of by the parasitic cowbird, which lays its eggs in the tanager's nest.

"Scarlet Tanager," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 96 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1995 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

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