Greenway Quest Is BACK!

Their vibrant feathers and sweet song make the Summer Tanager a treat for birdwatching greenway visitors! Depending on their age and gender, their feather colors vary from bright red to bright yellow. From May through September, they like to stay high up in forest trees eating bugs around St. Louis. While you can find painted rocks all across the network of greenways, you are most likely to see real Summer Tanagers on the Mississippi Greenway at Cliff Cave, Busch Greenway at Duckett Creek, and Meramec Greenway at Al Foster Trail.

In the last 50 years, bird populations have decreased by nearly 30% in North America. In addition to habitat loss, changing climate conditions, and outdoor pet cat predators, other major sources of their decline are light pollution and collisions with windows. Birds who migrate at night and use the stars for direction can become disoriented by lights on in a building. They may circle the same building again and again and use up all the energy they need to fly long distances.

You can help our flying friends by turning off non-essential lights during spring and fall migration, using motion-sensor lights outdoors, and installing shields on outdoor lights to eliminate upward light glare. You can help prevent bird collisions with windows by closing blinds or curtains, moving indoor plants away from windows, and applying bird-friendly pattern decals, safety film or an external screen to windows.