Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 8.3 in
21 cm - Weight
- 0.8–1.5 oz
24–43 g
Other Names
- Pyrrhuloxia (French)
- Cardenal torito, cardenal huasteco, cardenal pardo, cardenal desertico (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Some Pyrrhuloxias remain present on their breeding grounds all year, while others wander in winter. Wanderers may occur in habitats where they do not breed, such as urban areas.
- 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.
- Where both the Pyrrhuloxia and Northern Cardinal breed, territories of the two species may overlap, and no conflicts have been recorded between the species.
Habitat
Scrub
Desert scrub, mesquite grassland, and riparian woodland.
Food
Seeds
Seeds, insects, and fruits. Most seeds consumed are from grasses and weeds.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 2–4 eggs
- Egg Description
- Whitish, with green and gray markings.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless, with sparse gray down; bill bright yellow, mouth lining red.
Nest Description
A small, neat cup of twigs, bark strips, and grass, placed in a bush or hedgerow.
Nest Placement
Shrub
Behavior
Ground Forager
Gleans insects from trees and shrubs; picks seeds from stalks. Also visits feeders.
Conservation
Least Concern
Large areas of the Pyrrhuloxia's habitat in the southwestern United States have been lost to development by humans. Populations appear to be declining slightly.
Credits
- Tweit, R. C., and C. W. Thompson. 1999. Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus). In The Birds of North America, No. 391 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.