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The Most Photogenic Birds of Summer (And Where to Spot Them Right Now)

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Summer in the United States heralds a vibrant transformation in the avian world, as forests, wetlands, and backyards alike burst with the colors and songs of countless bird species.

For photographers, this season offers an unparalleled opportunity to capture stunning images of these feathered residents and migrants. From the iridescent flash of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird darting among flowers to the bold scarlet of a Summer Tanager perched high in the canopy, summer birds present a dynamic and visually rich subject. But which species offer the most captivating shots, and where can aspiring and seasoned bird photographers find them right now?

Painted Bunting

The Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) truly lives up to its name, especially the male, which is often hailed as the ‘most beautiful bird in North America’. Its vibrant, almost unbelievable plumage makes it a top target for birdwatchers and photographers alike. The adult male Painted Bunting is a breathtaking sight. Its head is a rich, deep blue, transitioning to a bright green back. The rump and underparts are a striking scarlet red, creating a vivid contrast. Its wings and tail are typically dark brown or black, which further highlights the brilliance of its body feathers. This combination of blue, green, and red makes it appear as if it’s been splashed with paint, hence its common name.

Where to spot them

The Painted Bunting has two distinct breeding populations in the United States. Firstly, there is an eastern population: This group breeds along the Atlantic coast from southern North Carolina down to northern Florida, and inland in the Piedmont region of central South Carolina and Georgia. They prefer scrub communities, wooded back dunes, palmetto thickets, and edges of maritime hammocks.

The larger interior/western population breeds from Kansas south through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, extending into northern Mexico. They utilize abandoned farms, strips of woodland between overgrown fields, brushy roadsides, streamsides, and patches of grasses, weeds, and wildflowers.

Despite their dazzling colors, Painted Buntings can be surprisingly elusive, often staying hidden in dense brush, hedgerows, and thickets. They are not typically found in deep forests but prefer semi-open areas with scattered shrubs and trees. They may also be found in suburban areas and gardens if suitable, dense, shrubby vegetation is present. It may take some patience to find them, but they are so worth the effort.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is a true gem of eastern North America, captivating observers with its dazzling appearance, incredible aerial acrobatics, and vital role as a pollinator. These are tiny birds, typically measuring only 2.8 to 3.5 inches in length, with a wingspan of 3.1 to 4.3 inches. They weigh a mere 0.07 to 0.2 ounces – about the weight of a few paperclips! They are the only hummingbird species that regularly breeds in eastern North America, making them easily identifiable in most of this region during the summer months.

Both sexes have iridescent emerald green backs and crowns, which can appear duller or brighter depending on the light angle. Their wings are near-black. The male, however, is the star of the show. He possesses a brilliant, iridescent ruby-red gorget that gives the species its name. This gorget is not always visible; it can look dark or black in poor light, but when caught by the sun at the right angle, it flashes with an intense, fiery red. His tail is forked and entirely dark, with pointed feathers. His breast and belly are typically brownish-gray, and his flanks are metallic bronze-green. The white area below his gorget can sometimes create a light ring around his neck.

The female lacks the male’s ruby throat. Her throat is white, sometimes with faint dusky or buffy streaking. Her tail is notched or fan-shaped, with the outer three feathers on each side banded with green, black, and white tips. Her belly and vent are white, and her flanks are light brown. Females are typically slightly larger than males.

Where to spot them

During the summer breeding season, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are widely distributed across the eastern United States, from the Atlantic coast west to the Great Plains, and into southern Canada. They are highly adaptable and thrive in a variety of habitats, including:

Deciduous and mixed woodlands – especially along edges, clearings, and areas with open canopies.
Forest edges and meadows – these provide a good mix of trees for nesting and open areas with flowering plants for foraging.
Orchards and gardens are frequent visitors to suburban and urban areas that offer abundant nectar sources.
Stream borders and riparian areas – they are often found along rivers and creeks.

Remember that these hummers are attracted to red, orange, and bright pink tubular flowers, and of course, hummingbird feeders. If you are in their breeding range, it gives you a great opportunity to find them close up in your own backyard!

Scarlet Tanager

The Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) is a truly remarkable and highly sought-after bird for enthusiasts and photographers in the eastern United States during the summer months. Its striking appearance, unique vocalizations, and somewhat elusive nature make it a captivating subject. Scarlet Tanagers are medium-sized songbirds, slightly smaller than a Northern Cardinal. They have a fairly stocky build with a relatively large head and a somewhat short, broad tail. Their bill is pale, horn-colored, and rather stout and rounded, suitable for catching insects and eating fruit, though it lacks the thick conical shape of many other cardinal family members.

The male bird is the star of the show. During the breeding season (spring and summer), he is an unforgettable, brilliant scarlet red over its entire body, sharply contrasted by jet-black wings and tail. The intensity of the red is often described as blood-red or fire-engine red, making it incredibly vibrant against the green forest canopy.

Outside of the breeding season, the male undergoes a molt and resembles the female. Both he and the female are generally olive-yellow on their upperparts and a paler yellowish on their underparts, with darker olive to dusky wings and tail. Even in this more subdued plumage, the male can often be distinguished by retaining his distinctly blacker wings and tail, compared to the female’s more olive-toned wings. Immature males may show a mix of red and yellow/olive as they transition.

Where to spot them

Scarlet Tanagers breed primarily in mature deciduous forests and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests throughout the eastern United States, extending into southern Canada. They show a strong preference for large, undisturbed tracts of forest, especially those dominated by oak, maple, beech, and hickory trees, and sometimes hemlock. They tend to stay high in the canopy, which makes them challenging to spot despite their bright coloration. While they prefer forest interiors, they can occasionally be found in large wooded suburban areas or parks. Your best bet is to look for them in open woods, riverside groves, and shade trees.

Summer Tanager

The Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) is a truly striking bird, especially the male, and a popular subject for photographers during the warmer months in the United States. They are medium-sized, chunky songbirds, typically measuring around 6.7 to 7.75 inches in length and weighing about 1.1 ounces. They have relatively large heads and a distinctive, thick, blunt-tipped, pale yellow bill. Unlike the similarly colored Northern Cardinal, they do not have a crest.

Adult males are almost entirely brilliant rose-red or strawberry-red all over, including their wings and tail. This makes them the only truly all-red bird in North America. In bright sunlight, their color is absolutely luminous. There might be a faint grayish wash on the primary flight feathers, but otherwise, they are pure red.

Females are less flamboyant but still attractive. They are generally mustard yellow to olive-green on their upperparts, with brighter yellow on their underparts. Their wings and tail are also olive-yellow to greenish, often with narrow yellow edging on the wing coverts. Their bill is also pale, often pinkish or horn-colored. Some older females can develop patches of red, making them look somewhat splotchy.

Where to spot them

The Summer Tanager breeds across the southern and eastern United States, extending north as far as Iowa and New Jersey. They prefer open woodlands, especially those dominated by oak and hickory, or mixed pine-oak forests. They are often found in dry, open woods. Populations primarily inhabit riparian woodlands along streams, characterized by cottonwoods, willows, mesquite, and saltcedar. They can also be found in orchards, parks, and roadside trees. Like the Scarlet Tanager, they often forage high in trees.

Baltimore Oriole

The Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) is a true jewel of the North American summer, renowned for its striking plumage and distinctive hanging nests. It’s named after Lord Baltimore, whose family crest shared the same vibrant orange and black colors. Baltimore Orioles are medium-sized songbirds, slightly smaller and more slender than an American Robin. They have a sturdy body, thick neck, and relatively long legs. Length is 6.7 to 7.5 inches, and their weight is 1.1 to 1.4 oz.

The adult male Baltimore Oriole is instantly recognizable. Its head and upper back are a solid, glossy black, contrasting sharply with its brilliant, fiery orange breast, belly, and rump. The wings are black with a prominent white wing bar and orange shoulder patches. The tail is mostly black with orange corners. Its bill is pointed and relatively thick at the base, characteristic of the blackbird family (Icteridae) to which it belongs.

Female Baltimore Orioles are generally duller than males, with more variable plumage. They typically have a yellowish-orange breast and underparts, a grayish or brownish head and back, and two distinct white wing bars. Some adult females may show traces of black on their heads.

Where to spot them

Baltimore Orioles are common in eastern North America as a migratory breeding bird. They are often found high up in large, leafy deciduous trees, but not typically in deep forests. Look for them in open woodlands, forest edges, partially wooded wetlands, or stands of trees along rivers, orchards, farmland, urban parks, and suburban landscapes with woodlots. Their distinctive hanging, bag-shaped nests are also a great photographic subject.

Roseate Spoonbill

The Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) is truly one of the most distinctive and visually arresting birds of the Americas. Its striking appearance and unique feeding method make it a favorite among birdwatchers and photographers. They are medium-sized wading birds, standing around 28-34 inches tall with a wingspan of 47-51 inches.

The most immediate and captivating feature is its vivid pink plumage. This color can range from a pale, delicate pink in juveniles to a brilliant magenta or rose-red in breeding adults, especially on the wings, abdomen, and tail feathers. Like flamingos, their vibrant coloration comes from carotenoid pigments obtained through their diet, primarily from the crustaceans they consume. The more carotenoid-rich food they eat, the more intense their pink becomes. Its most defining characteristic is its long, flattened, spoon-shaped bill. This bill, often grayish to pale green, is about 7 inches long in adults and is perfectly adapted for its specialized feeding technique.

Where to spot them

Wetland Dwellers: Roseate Spoonbills are highly dependent on shallow aquatic environments. They inhabit a wide variety of freshwater, brackish, and marine wetlands, including coastal marshes, mudflats, estuaries, mangrove swamps, and even roadside ditches with suitable water levels.

They are locally common in the coastal marshes and mudflats of Florida, Texas, and other Gulf Coast states, and southwest Louisiana. Their range has been expanding northward in recent years, with sightings in Georgia, South Carolina, and even as far north as Washington, D.C., upstate New York, and New Hampshire in some summers. They often nest in colonies, providing opportunities for group shots.

Tips for Spotting and Photographing

Final Thoughts

Birds in the summer are at their physical peak. The stunning variety of colors in our list belongs mostly to male birds that are showing off their brilliant plumage to attract a mate and defend their breeding territory. This is the best time to find and photograph them. While some might require trips further afield, some of these species should be found in the gardens and local parks across a wide range of mainland states. By understanding their feeding and nesting habitats, you stand a good chance of locating them.

Here are our top tips for finding these stunning birds and photographing them.

Timing – early morning and late afternoon are generally the best times for bird activity and soft, golden light.
Habitat – research the preferred habitats of the birds you’re hoping to photograph.
Patience – bird photography requires a lot of patience. Find a good spot, stay still, and wait for the birds to come to you.
Lenses – a telephoto lens is essential for capturing good detail from a distance.
Ethics – always prioritize the well-being of the birds. Avoid disturbing nests or causing undue stress. Use blinds or maintain a respectful distance.
Local resources – check with local Audubon chapters, birding groups, or national/state parks for recent sightings and prime birding locations in your area.

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