Pyrrhuloxia

Cardinalis sinuatus

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

22 cm (9") Fairly common. Southwestern United States. Mesquite, thorny brush, deserts, ranchlands.

Male: resembles female Northern Cardinal. However, it is gray above except for its red crest, has a sharply curved orange-yellow bill (Cardinals have red bills) with red on the face, throat and breast.

Female: more grayish overall than similar female Northern Cardinal. Also it has a dull yellow, sharply curved bill. Female Northern Cardinal is browner with a red bill.

Song: very similar to Northern Cardinal but shorter and thinner, sharp "chink" call.

Details in the field

Photo gallery

7 photos

Credit: Andy Morffew

Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ - February 18, 2009

Credit: J. N. Stuart

Aviary at the Sonoran Desert Museum - November 2009

Credit: Pat Gaines

Lower Rio Grande Valley - Falcon S.P. Texas - January 15, 2013

Credit: Cletus Lee

Black Bear Spring, Arizona, US - December 27, 2006

Credit: Dmitry Mozzherin

Credit: Allen Sheffield

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Pyrrhuloxia, Part 3, eats from hand

Credit: terlinguacitylimits

Pyrrhuloxia - Part 2 - bird peers in window and eats from hand

Credit: terlinguacitylimits

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 2 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Pyrrhuloxia (Male)

1 rule

Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 3

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Olive (yellowish-green) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Crest of feathers on top of the head · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States

result:876-pyrrhuloxia-male:1:1 Source: 876 Pyrrhuloxia (Male), row 1

Pyrrhuloxia (Female)

1 rule

Rule 1 12 criteria confidence 3

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?: Yellow · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Crest of feathers on top of the head · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States

result:877-pyrrhuloxia-female:1:1 Source: 877 Pyrrhuloxia (Female), row 1