Summer Tanager Males Are Bright Red Birds, And Females Are Yellow. 20 of the most commonly seen species of. Summer tanagers are red birds that can be spotted in illinois between april and october. The birds with a noticeable amount of yellow on them, including lots of yellow and black birds, in illinois covered in this article are: Joel Duff, Beechnut Photography Description & Identification Click To Expand. The male has a checkered back.