Different Species of Red Birds (You Might Have Seen)

Did you see a red bird but don’t know what it was?

The Northern Cardinal is probably the first bird that comes to mind, but there are many other red birds in North America. Some are almost completely red, while others have red on the head, breast, wings, or belly.

The tricky part is that male and female birds can look very different. A bright red bird may have a brown or yellowish mate that looks like an entirely different species.

Here are 20 red birds you might see in North America, starting with some of the most colorful and recognizable species.

So, sit back and enjoy!

Red Birds

Northern Cardinal

Painted Bunting

Scarlet Tanager

Cinnamon Teal

Hepatic Tanager

Roseate Spoonbill

Summer Tanager

Northern Cardinal

The Northern Cardinal is a bird of substantial size, distinguished by its long tail, noticeable crest, and thick, short bill. The male Northern Cardinal boasts striking red plumage all over its body, except for black feathers surrounding its bill. Similarly, the bill of the male is reddish in color.

On the other hand, the female Northern Cardinal features mostly light brown plumage, with a hint of red on its crest, tail, and wings. The females share the same black face and reddish bill as the males.

Read more: What do red birds symbolize?

Northern Cardinals are widely distributed across the United States and Mexico, and they inhabit areas such as parks, backyards, forest edges, and woodlots. Birdwatchers often spot them at feeders, leading to the assumption that they mainly consume seeds.

While they do love black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, safflower seeds, and striped sunflower seeds, Northern Cardinals also have a diverse diet that includes fruits and insects. They feed on wild grape, hackberry, mulberry, and blackberry, as well as crickets, beetles, leafhoppers, flies, cicadas, centipedes, butterflies, and spiders.

Painted Bunting

The Painted Bunting, a finch-like bird with a stout bill designed for seed-eating, is a medium-sized bird. The males’ plumage is stunning with a blend of green backs, blue heads, and red underparts.

Female and immature Painted Buntings are bright yellow-green without any specific pattern, and their color is more brilliant and greener than other birds. These birds can be found in Coastal North Carolina, Coastal South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, New Mexico, Mexico, the Bahamas, Cuba, and Central America. Painted Buntings prefer nesting in woodlands, brushy roadsides, abandoned farms, sections of grasses, wildflowers, and weeds.

They can also be found in scrub communities, wooded back dunes, maritime hammocks, palmetto thickets, hedges, fallow fields, citrus groves, and yards. In winter, they migrate to overgrown pastures, high grass, and shrubby vegetation.

Scarlet Tanager

Photograph © Glenn Bartley.

The Scarlet Tanager is a medium-sized songbird with a large head, round and stout bill, and a wide, short tail. Adult male Scarlet Tanagers have bright red plumage with black tails and wings during spring and summer.

Female Scarlet Tanagers are greenish-yellow with a darker greenish-yellow color on their tails and wings. When the breeding season ends, adult males molt and look like females, but with black instead of the darker greenish-yellow color on their tails and wings.

These birds are commonly found in eastern North America, Cuba, the Bahamas, Central America, and South America. Scarlet Tanagers prefer larger forests with big trees, nesting in oak, oak-hickory, pine-oak, hemlock-hardwood, and beech forests. They can also be found in eastern hemlock forests.

Scarlet Tanagers use similar habitats in fall and spring, as well as gardens and parks. In winter, they prefer mature forest edges and forests in western and northern South America.

Vermilion Flycatcher

The Vermilion Flycatcher is a petite yet sturdy flycatcher that boasts a flat head, a broad and straight bill, and a slender tail.

If you happen to spot a male, you’ll be treated to a beautiful sight – the head, breast, and belly are a stunning orange-red, while the back, wings, tail, and eye area are covered in dark brown feathers. Meanwhile, the females have grayish-brown feathers with pinkish-red underparts and muted streaks on the breast. Regardless of sex, both have black bills.

These charming birds can be found in the Southern United States and Mexico, and they prefer open areas such as dry scrublands, deserts, farmlands, canyon mouths, and parks with streams and bottomland trees such as willow, cottonwood, mesquite, and sycamore. Keep an eye out for these lovely creatures!

Elegant Trogon

The Elegant Trogon is a pot-bellied and stocky medium-sized bird with a round head, large eyes, and stout, short bill. The male has rose-red underparts, copper-green upperparts, a white band across the breast, a black-and-white barred underside, and black face and throat.

The female has grayish-brown upperparts and a white splotch around the eye. These birds can be found in Arizona, Mexico, and Central America, living in a variety of habitats, including forested mountain canyons, juniper habitats, and areas with limited Douglas-fir, mesquite, and cottonwood-oak cover.

Cinnamon Teal

The Cinnamon Teal is a duck that’s on the smaller side, but don’t let that fool you – they have larger heads and relatively long bills. To give you an idea, their bills are shorter than those of a Northern Shoveler but longer than those of a Blue-winged Teal.

Breeding male Cinnamon Teals are a sight to behold with their red eyes, vivid rusty plumage, brownish backs, white underwings, and long dark bills. On the other hand, nonbreeding males and females have a mostly brown appearance. Regardless of gender, both have light blue patches on their wings, but you’ll only be able to see them when their wings are open.

You can find Cinnamon Teals in Canada, the Western United States, Mexico, and South America. In North America, they prefer to nest in freshwater wetlands with emerging vegetation. You might also spot them in streams, ditches, stock ponds, and reservoirs.

These birds use various marsh plants such as Baltic Rush, Spikerush, Saltgrass, Tufted Hairgrass, Foxtail Barley, and Western Wheatgrass for nesting. These plants provide both food and cover for the birds. During the winter, Cinnamon Teals migrate south of the United States and can be found in wet agricultural fields and reservoirs.

Hepatic Tanager

The Hepatic Tanager is a delightful medium-sized songbird, with strong feet and legs, long wings, long tails, and a heavy, short bill. Males of this species boast gray ear patches, reddish underparts, and red-grayish upper parts, while females have dusky ear patches, yellowish underparts, and olive-yellow upper parts. Both male and female have strikingly dark legs and bills.

These colorful tanagers can be spotted in parts of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Mexico, Central America, and South America. In the United States, they breed in open woodlands with a partially open canopy and open understory, favoring key tree species like pinyon pine, ponderosa pine, white fir, and Jeffrey pine, where they build their nests.

During migration, these birds prefer habitats with pine and pine-oak trees, but they can also be found in deciduous habitats along rivers. In desert environments, migratory birds tend to appear in vegetation-rich habitats. Interestingly, most of the U.S. breeding population of Hepatic Tanagers spend their winters in Mexico.

Ringed Kingfisher

The Ringed Kingfisher is known for its heavy build, is a large kingfisher with a long tail, long wings, short legs, and shaggy crest. They have a dagger-like, thick bill. The male Ringed Kingfisher has slaty blue upperparts, chestnut underparts, a white collar, and white splotches on the wings and tail, as well as white under tail coverts. Female Ringed Kingfishers are similar in appearance but have a bluish band across the chest and a thin white crescent above the reddish-brown belly.

These birds can be found in Texas, Mexico, Central America, and South America, and are commonly found near freshwater habitats with clear waters that allow them to spot prey from above. Ringed Kingfishers will perch on anything available, including both natural and man-made structures, such as utility wires and tall trees.

They hunt in a variety of habitats, including lakes, ponds, and rivers, as well as brackish and saltwater areas. During the breeding season, Ringed Kingfishers tend to stay in their preferred freshwater habitats, but they expand their range after breeding and may hunt in ditches and canals if there are perches available. In Central and South America, they also inhabit offshore reefs, mangrove forests, and fish farms.

Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate spoonbill

Rosate Spoonbills are medium-sized wading birds. They’re such interesting wading birds! They’re not too big or too small, just the right size, and they have these funny spoon-like bills that are perfect for catching their favorite foods.

These birds like to hang out in shallow waters where they can find lots of yummy invertebrates to eat, and they can be found in all sorts of habitats like mangroves, swamps, and even roadside ditches! When they’re not foraging, they like to roost and nest in trees along the water’s edge.

One of the coolest things about Roseate Spoonbills is their beautiful pink coloration.

Fun Fact: Did you know that it comes from the pigments in the crustaceans they eat? It’s just like how flamingos get their pink color!

So, next time you see a Roseate Spoonbill, you can appreciate just how special and unique they are.

Summer Tanager

Summer Tanagers are medium-sized songbirds with large heads, chunky bodies, and thick, large bills. The males are a beautiful bright red, while the females are a bright greenish-yellow, with a slightly greener back and wings. Both have pale bills.

You can find Summer Tanagers in many places, including the southern United States, Mexico, Cuba, the Bahamas, Central America, and South America. They love to breed on the edges of open forests in the mid-Atlantic and southern United States. In the southwest, they prefer low-elevation areas with cottonwood and willow trees.

During migration, these tanagers stop in similar habitats to those in their breeding range, but they also inhabit beach ridges and gardens. They spend their winters in open habitats of Mexico, Central America, and South America.

House Finch

© John Hansen

The House Finch is one of the red birds you’re most likely to see around a home or bird feeder.

Males have reddish-orange coloring on the head, throat, breast, and rump. The rest of the body is brown and streaked.

Females lack the red coloring and are mostly brown with heavy streaking.

House Finches are common across much of the United States and southern Canada and are regular visitors to feeders, parks, and suburban neighborhoods.

Purple Finch

Photograph © Glenn Bartley.

Male Purple Finches have raspberry-red coloring on the head, throat, breast, and back. The red often looks more pink or wine-colored than the brighter red of a Cardinal.

Females are brown and heavily streaked.

Purple Finches are most common in Canada and the northern United States, although they can move farther south during winter. They are often seen in forests, woodland edges, and at feeders.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

The male Rose-breasted Grosbeak has a black head and back with a striking rose-red patch across the white breast.

Females are brown and heavily streaked and don’t have the bright red breast.

These birds breed across much of Canada and the northeastern and central United States. They are especially fond of woodland edges, second-growth forests, and mature trees.

Cassin’s Finch

Cassin’s Finch. © David Renwald

Male Cassin’s Finches have a reddish crown, face, throat, and breast, with the color sometimes extending down the back.

Females are brown and streaked.

Cassin’s Finches are mainly western birds. They are associated with mountain forests, especially areas containing pine and other conifers.

Their reddish coloring can make them easy to confuse with other red finches, so location is an important clue.

Pine Grosbeak

Photograph © Glenn Bartley.

Male Pine Grosbeaks can be heavily washed with rosy-red, especially across the head and upperparts. Females and young birds are usually yellowish or orange-brown.

These are northern birds that favor coniferous forests. They breed mainly across Canada and Alaska, with some populations reaching the northern United States.

They are especially worth looking for in winter when they can appear farther south.

Red Crossbill

Red Crossbill

Male Red Crossbills are usually brick-red or orange-red, although their exact coloring varies.

The most useful identification clue isn’t the color, though. It’s the bill.

The tips of the Red Crossbill’s bill cross over each other, allowing it to pry seeds from conifer cones.

They are found mainly in coniferous forests across North America and can be surprisingly difficult to identify because their appearance varies considerably between populations.

White-winged Crossbill

Male White-winged Crossbills can be reddish-pink with dark wings and two prominent white wingbars.

Females are generally yellowish or olive.

Like Red Crossbills, they have crossed bill tips adapted for feeding on conifer seeds. The combination of red plumage and obvious white wingbars makes males relatively easy to recognize.

They are primarily northern birds and are closely associated with spruce and other coniferous forests.

Common Redpoll

Photograph © Glenn Bartley.

The Common Redpoll is a tiny finch with a distinctive red cap. Males can also have pink or red coloring across the breast.

It is much smaller than a Cardinal or grosbeak and often appears at feeders during winter.

Common Redpolls are northern birds, but they sometimes move much farther south during winters when food is scarce in their usual range.

Pyrrhuloxia

The Pyrrhuloxia looks a little like a gray, desert version of the Northern Cardinal.

Males have red on the face, crest, breast, and belly, while much of the rest of the body is gray. Females are duller.

Pyrrhuloxias are found mainly in the deserts and dry scrublands of the southwestern United States and Mexico.

If you see a bird that looks like a Cardinal but has a mostly gray body and a shorter, rounder bill, Pyrrhuloxia is worth considering.

Painted Redstart

The Painted Redstart is a small black-and-white bird with a vivid red belly and breast.

Unlike many red birds, males and females look very similar.

It is mainly a bird of mountain forests and canyons. In the United States, it is most likely to be found in Arizona, New Mexico, and the mountains of western Texas.

Its habit of flicking its wings and tail while foraging can also help with identification.

Red-headed Woodpecker

The Red-headed Woodpecker is one of the few North American birds where the name tells you exactly what to look for.

Adults have a completely bright red head, black back and wings, and a white body. The wings also show large white patches in flight.

Young birds look quite different, with gray-brown heads rather than bright red ones.

Red-headed Woodpeckers are found in parts of southern Canada and much of the central and eastern United States. They favor open woodlands, savannas, parks, and areas with dead trees.

Which Red Bird Did You See?

If you’re trying to identify a red bird, color is only the starting point.

Think about these details:

Was the whole bird red?
A completely red bird could be a Summer Tanager or male Northern Cardinal. A red bird with black wings points more toward a Scarlet Tanager.

Was only the head red?
A Red-headed Woodpecker is an obvious possibility. A Common Redpoll has a much smaller red cap.

Did it have a red breast?
Look at Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, House Finches, Purple Finches, and Painted Redstarts.

Where did you see it?
A red bird in an Arizona canyon could be a Painted Redstart or Elegant Trogon. A red bird at a backyard feeder in the East is much more likely to be a Cardinal, House Finch, or Purple Finch.

Was it a male or female?
This is one of the most important clues. In many of these species, males are red while females are brown, yellow, or olive.

What Is the Most Common Red Bird?

The Northern Cardinal is probably the most familiar red bird in North America, especially in the eastern and central United States.

It is common around backyards, parks, woodland edges, and bird feeders. The male’s bright red plumage and crest make it difficult to mistake for most other birds.

House Finches are another very common red bird, particularly around towns and cities.

Red Birds at Bird Feeders

If you saw your red bird at a feeder, start with these:

• Northern Cardinal – bright red male with a crest
• House Finch – reddish head and breast with a streaked brown body
• Purple Finch – raspberry-red head and breast
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak – red breast with a black head
• Common Redpoll – tiny bird with a red cap

The type of feeder and food can provide another clue. Cardinals and finches often visit seed feeders, while some species are more likely to appear in specific habitats rather than at feeders.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common red bird in North America?

The Northern Cardinal is one of the most common and recognizable red birds in North America, especially in the eastern and central United States.

What red bird has black wings?

The male Scarlet Tanager has a bright red body with black wings and a black tail. The Red-headed Woodpecker is another possibility, but it has a completely red head rather than a red body.

What red bird has a blue head?

The male Painted Bunting has a blue head, green back, and bright red underparts.

What red bird looks like a Cardinal?

The Pyrrhuloxia is probably the most obvious Cardinal lookalike. It has a similar crest and general shape but is mostly gray rather than bright red.

What red bird is common at bird feeders?

Northern Cardinals, House Finches, and Purple Finches are among the most common red-colored birds you may see at feeders, depending on where you live.

Are female red birds red?

Not necessarily. In many species, males are much more colorful than females. Female Cardinals are brown with red highlights, while female House Finches, Purple Finches, Scarlet Tanagers, and Summer Tanagers are mostly brown, olive, or yellowish.

What is the smallest red bird on this list?

The Common Redpoll is one of the smallest. It is a tiny finch, much smaller than a Cardinal or grosbeak.

The Bottom Line

There are far more red birds in North America than just the Northern Cardinal.

Some, like the Summer Tanager and Scarlet Tanager, can be almost impossible to miss. Others have just a small amount of red, such as the Rose-breasted Grosbeak or Common Redpoll.

When you’re trying to identify one, don’t rely on color alone. Look at its size, shape, pattern, habitat, location, and whether you’re looking at a male or female.

Those extra clues can turn “I saw a red bird” into a much easier identification.