When a flash of red shows up in the yard, the first guess is usually “cardinal.” Often that is right, but several other small birds are also red, and some of them only look red for part of the year. This guide gives the names of the common small red birds of North America and the details that set them apart.
Red plumage can vary with age, season, diet and lighting, and in most species only the male is bright red. Use the descriptions below as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Common Small Red Birds
Northern Cardinal
The classic red bird: a pointed crest, a black mask around a thick orange-red bill, and a red body in males. Females are warm tan to buff with red highlights on the crest, wings and tail. It is at roughly the size of a robin, a little longer-tailed, and it is found year-round across much of the eastern and central US, extending into the Southwest. Cardinals are frequent seed-eaters at feeders, and they do not migrate.
House Finch
Smaller and more slender than a cardinal. Males have red on the forehead, throat, breast and rump, with brown streaks on the belly and flanks. The shade can run from yellow-orange to deep red. Females are plain, streaky brown. House finches are common visitors to feeders in many parts of the continent.
Purple Finch
Males look rosy-red all over, with the color extending onto the back and a less streaky belly than a house finch. Females are brown and streaked with a bold white eyebrow. In many areas they are more common in winter or in cooler, forested regions.
Summer Tanager
Males are rosy-red from head to tail, with no black on wings or tail. Females are yellow-olive. They are mostly summer residents in the southern and eastern US and are often found in woodland, so you may hear them before you see them.
Scarlet Tanager
Breeding males are vivid red with black wings and tail, a pattern that is distinctive. In fall they turn greenish-yellow like the females. They spend the summer in eastern forests and tend to stay high in the canopy.
Vermilion Flycatcher
A small, active bird of the Southwest and parts of Texas. Males have a brilliant red crown and underparts with a dark brown back and a dark eye stripe. Females are grayish-brown with a pale, lightly streaked chest and a salmon or yellowish wash on the belly.
Pyrrhuloxia
Sometimes called the desert cardinal. It is mostly gray with red on the crest, face, wings and tail, and it has a short, curved, yellowish bill. It lives in the desert Southwest.
Red Crossbill
A stocky finch with a bill whose tips cross, used to pry seeds from cones. Males are brick red. Crossbills are nomadic in conifer areas, so their presence can be unpredictable.
Common Redpoll
Small, streaky, and mostly seen in winter in northern states. It has a red patch on the forehead, a small black chin and sometimes a pinkish breast.
Other Birds With Red Patches
A few birds are red only in places. The painted bunting (southern US) has a blue head and red underparts, and male Anna’s hummingbirds have a rose-red crown and throat. For birds whose red is limited to the head, see our guide to birds with a red head.
How to Tell Them Apart
| Bird | Size cue | Key feature |
|---|---|---|
| Northern cardinal | Robin-sized, long tail | Crest and black face mask |
| House finch | Sparrow-sized | Red head and breast, streaky flanks |
| Purple finch | Slightly stockier | Raspberry wash, little streaking |
| Summer tanager | Medium, thin bill | All rosy red, no black |
| Scarlet tanager | Medium | Red body, black wings |
| Vermilion flycatcher | Small, perches upright | Red crown and belly, dark back |
A quick rule: if there is a crest, think cardinal or pyrrhuloxia. If the bird is streaky and sparrow-sized, think finch. If the bird is smooth and red or yellow-olive with no streaks, think tanager.
Why Some Red Birds Look Orange or Yellow
The red color in many birds comes from pigments in their food. House finches that eat fewer pigment-rich foods during molt can end up more orange or yellow than their neighbors. So an orange-ish “house finch” is not necessarily a different species. Lighting at dawn and dusk can also shift how red appears.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three types of cardinals?
The cardinal genus (Cardinalis) includes three species: the northern cardinal, the pyrrhuloxia (desert cardinal) and the vermilion cardinal, which lives in northern South America. People also talk about regional forms of the northern cardinal, but those are variations of the same species.
What are some other names for the cardinal bird?
Most commonly it is called a redbird. You may hear that nickname in many parts of the eastern US, and in some states the cardinal is the official state bird.
Is a red bird good luck?
That is a matter of folklore rather than science. In many traditions a cardinal is seen as a comforting sign or a visit from a loved one who has passed, but this is cultural belief and not a documented fact.
What are some unique bird names?
Red birds have a few memorable ones, including the vermilion flycatcher, pyrrhuloxia and crossbill. Pyrrhuloxia comes from Greek roots and is pronounced roughly “pir-uh-LOK-see-uh.”
Attracting Red Birds
Many of the birds above visit feeders. Cardinals and finches like black oil sunflower seed, and cardinals often prefer a sturdy perch or a tray feeder. Planting native shrubs and trees nearby gives cover and natural food. Reading about birds with red heads can also help you tell woodpeckers from finches when something new appears.