General

Pyrrhuloxia: Large cardinal-like finch with conspicuous red-tipped gray crest, gray head, back, and upperparts, red-washed face and breast, and pale gray underparts. Wings are dark gray with red edges on primaries. Tail is red. Bill is thick, crooked, and yellow. Female is duller and with less red.

Range and Habitat

Pyrrhuloxia: Resident from Arizona, southern New Mexico, and southern Texas southward. Prefers desert brush, especially along streambeds.

Breeding and Nesting

Pyrrhuloxia: Three to four light gray or green eggs with brown dots and flecks are laid in a nest made of thorny twigs, weeds, grass, and bark pieces, and lined with rootlets and fine materials. Nest is built in a shrub or thicket, 5 to 15 feet above the ground. Eggs are incubated for 14 days by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Pyrrhuloxia: Eats flower spikes, various fruits, berries, seeds, and insects.

Readily Eats

Safflower, Apple Slices, Suet, Millet, Peanut Kernels, Fruit

Vocalization

Pyrrhuloxia: Song is a varied series of rich, loud whistles "chewee, chewee, chewee, wheet, wheet, wheet." Call is a sharp, metallic "plik" or "chink."

Similar Species

Pyrrhuloxia: Northern Cardinal has red bill and is redder overall.