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Platte River Status: A rare migrant and highly local nesting species in the eastern half of the study area. Tout (1947) considered scarlet tanager a rare summer resident and occasional migrant in Lincoln County during 13 May to 15 September. Jones (1940) found a pair of scarlet tanager along the Little Blue River about 19 km south of Hastings, Adams County on 14 July 1940. The observation by Jones was the first breeding season record for the study area at that time.

Breeding Range: A rare and highly local nesting species in the Platte River Valley and on the Eastern Plain; apparently absent elsewhere.

Breeding Population: We failed to record scarlet tanager on our random census plots in 1979-1980. Because of its patchy distribution here at the western limit of the species' range, we believe that no more than 20 breeding pairs occupy the study area yearly.

Habitat: Our observations of scarlet tanager during the nesting season are from mature lowland forest dominated by cottonwood in southeastern Adams County. Tout (1947) reported scarlet tanager in Lincoln County only in heavily forested regions along the Platte River. Anderson and Shugart (1974) characterized scarlet tanager habitat in Tennessee as deciduous forest with dense canopy cover. Beals (1960) found them in dense deciduous forests in northern Wisconsin. Faanes and Andrew (1983) reported that the highest breeding densities in northeastern North Dakota were found in mixed bur oak - green ash forest.

Effect of Habitat Alteration: We believe that because of the low numbers of scarlet tanager occurring in the study area during the breeding season, habitat alteration has had no measureable impact on this species. As with several other typically "eastern" species, scarlet tanager probably benefits from the establishment of wood vegetation within the stream channels, by being provided an avenue for westward movement and colonization at the limit of the species normal range.

Nesting Data: Tout (1939) reported an active scarlet tanager nest from near North Platte, Lincoln County, that contained four scarlet tanager eggs and one brown-headed cowbird egg on 12 June 1938. Swanson (1954) mentioned a pair of scarlet tanager nesting in southeastern Merrick County. Kansas egg dates range from 11 May to 20 June (Johnsgard 1979).