Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 8.3 in
21 cm - Weight
- 0.8–1.5 oz
24–43 g
Relative Size
- About the size of a Northern Cardinal; larger than a Black-throated Sparrow.
Other Names
- Pyrrhuloxia (French)
- Cardenal torito, cardenal huasteco, cardenal pardo, cardenal desertico (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Foraging winter flocks of Pyrrhuloxias may number as many as 1,000 birds.
- The name "Pyrrhuloxia" is a combination of the genus names Pyrrhula (bullfinches) and Loxia (crossbills). The roots mean "flame-colored" and "crooked," and aptly describe the reddish bird with the crooked bill.
- The Pyrrhuloxia has very similar vocalizations and behaviors to the closely related Northern Cardinal, which is found in the same range but tends to live in wetter habitats. When a male Pyrrhuloxia’s and a male cardinal’s territories overlap, each defends its territory vigorously from members of its own species, but they don’t seem to fight with each other.
- On a day when outdoor temperatures reached 118°F, a Pyrrhuloxia was seen sitting on a terrace in the air-conditioned breeze coming out of a house. This canny behavior has also been observed in Cactus Wrens and Loggerhead Shrikes.
- Though they will drink at pools of water when possible, Pyrrhuloxias seem to get most of their water from their insect food in spring and summer.
- The oldest Pyrrhuloxia on record was at least 8 years, 1 month old. It was caught by a bird bander in Arizona and released.
Habitat
Scrub
Pyrrhuloxias live in upland deserts, mesquite savannas, riparian (streamside) woodlands, desert scrublands, farm fields with hedgerows, and residential areas with nearby mesquite. When not breeding, some Pyrrhuloxias wander into urban habitats, mesquite-hackberry habitats, and riparian habitats with Arizona sycamore and cottonwood.
Food
Seeds
The Pyrrhuloxia is an opportunistic and omnivorous bird that forages on the ground and in the shrubbery, eating seeds, fruits, and large insects. It gleans seeds from thistle grass, doveweed, sandbur, panicum, sorghum, pigweed, yellow foxtail, joint grass, crabgrass, wiregrass, and spurge. The fruits in its diet include cactus fruits, nightshade fruits, and elderberries, though it eats much less fruit than the Northern Cardinal does. The Pyrrhuloxia also feeds on blooming saguaro cacti, likely eating the flowers’ nectar and pollen. It catches grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, stinkbugs, cicadas, weevils, and cotton cutworms.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 2–4 eggs
- Number of Broods
- 1-2 broods
- Egg Length
- 0.8–1.1 in
2.1–2.8 cm - Egg Width
- 0.6–0.8 in
1.6–2 cm - Incubation Period
- 14 days
- Nestling Period
- 10–13 days
- Egg Description
- Grayish to greenish white, with pale gray or brown markings (very similar to eggs of the Northern Cardinal).
- Condition at Hatching
- Grayish brown skin with bright yellow bill and bright red mouth-lining.
Nest Description
The female constructs the nest, gathering materials from within the territory, while the male stays in the trees and sings. She builds a neat, compact cup, 3 inches across and 1.5 inches deep, using thorny twigs, strips of bark, and coarse grass. She lines it with rootlets, strips of bark, horsehair, plant fibers, spiderwebs, feathers, and tiny plant stems.
Nest Placement
Shrub
Pyrrhuloxias build nests in dense brush such as mesquite, gray thorn, elderberry, or paloverde. They nest in more open habitats than Northern Cardinals do. The nest itself is placed 5–15 feet off the ground, resting insecurely on small twigs away from the trunk and main branches.
Behavior
Ground Forager
Pyrrhuloxias make short flights by alternating a few wingbeats and a glide, making an undulating flight path. In the fall and winter Pyrrhuloxias forage for seeds in mixed flocks. In late February and early March, the flocks start to break up and the males become aggressive. They establish territories and patrol the boundaries, singing at prominent perches and chasing intruders. Males court females by giving a distinctive call, approaching her with a wing-fluttering sound, bowing the head, and sometimes offering a piece of food. Once nests are in progress, females join their mates to thwart intruders. Pyrrhuloxias remain territorial until the end of the breeding season, in late summer. Mates may stay together year round, but no one knows if they continue their relationship from one year to the next. Predators of Pyrrhuloxias and their nests include feral and domestic cats, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls, and Greater Roadrunners.
Conservation
Least Concern
Pyrrhuyloxias are fairly common birds with stable populations over the last several decades. However, their numbers were likely reduced during the twentieth century, as millions of acres of desert scrubland in the Southwest were cleared for agriculture and urbanization. Some of the Pyrrhuloxia’s habitat is safeguarded within national wildlife refuges, parks, and other protected areas.
Migration
Resident (nonmigratory). Some individuals disperse north after the breeding season.
Backyard Tips
Pyrrhuloxias come to backyards for seeds, particularly sunflower; it’s more likely to feed from ground feeders or from scattered or discarded seeds than visit elevated feeders. They may also feed from native, fruit-bearing shrubs or cacti.
Find This Bird
Pyrrhuloxias are habitat specialists, so look for them in desert scrub of the Southwest, where they look (and sound) like crisp, gray-and-red cardinals. The short, curved, yellow bill and long crest are good points to distinguish it from the Northern Cardinal, which can also occur in the desert.