2014 - 25¢ - Scarlet Tanager - Coloured Coin

The glorious scarlet tanager is one of the easiest birds to identify across the mixed forests of eastern Canada. The male is especially impressive with its striking scarlet body, black wings and black tail. The females are yellow-green with grey-black wings.

This beautiful bird changes colour for its winter migration to South America. The male's late-summer moult results in a significant transformation as he trades his crimson plumage for the same olive-yellow tint as the female, but keeps his black wings and tail.

The scarlet tanager builds its nests in the forest canopy, on the upper and outermost branches of oaks, beech, hemlocks, and occasionally poplar and birch. This pretty songbird prefers fairly large forests with lots of large trees, but Canadians can occasionally catch a glimpse of the scarlet tanager's red or yellow feathers in backyard gardens or parks during spring and fall migration.

Specifications
No. 130582
Mintage 17500
Composition cupronickel
Finish specimen
Weight (g)
Diameter (mm) 35
Edge plain
Certificate serialized
Face value 25 cents
Artist Pierre Leduc (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)