Pyrrhuloxia

Cardinalis sinuatusOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Cardinals and Grosbeaks (Cardinalidae)

Codes: Common Name: PYRR Scientific Name: CARSIT ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179132

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhuloxia: Large cardinal-like finch with conspicuous red-tipped gray crest, gray head, back, upperparts, red-washed face, breast, and pale gray underparts. Dark gray wings with red edges on primaries. Tail is red. Thick yellow bill. Eats insects, larvae, seeds, fruits and berries.

● Song: "chewee, chewee, chewee, wheet, wheet, wheet", "plik", "chink."

● Foraging & Feeding: Pyrrhuloxia: Eats flower spikes, various fruits, berries, seeds, and insects.

● Breeding & 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.

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

Flight Pattern

Short flights low over vegetation, with rapid wing beats alternating with brief periods of wings pulled to sides.

Pyrrhuloxia Breeding Male Body Illustration

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

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationFairly common

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight1.3 Ounces

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhuloxia

Flight Pattern