Pyrrhuloxia Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesPyrrhuloxia
Adult male
Stocky, medium-sized songbird with a tall crest and a long tail. It has a heavy but short seed-cracking yellow bill. Adult males are grayish overall with red highlights on the wings, crest, and tail as well as a red mask and belly stripe.
© Suzie McCann / Macaulay LibraryTexas, June 03, 2019Adult female
Stocky, long-tailed bird with a short and heavy bill. Adult females are grayish with red highlights on the crest, wings, and tail. Note yellow bill.
© Mike Charest / Macaulay LibraryTexas, March 02, 2017Immature
Immatures look like females, but have a darker bill and have fewer red highlights.
© Laura Ellis / Macaulay LibraryArizona, January 16, 2017Adult male
Long-tailed and crested songbird. Adult males are gray with a red mask and belly as well as red highlights on the crest, wings, and tail. Note thick yellow seed-eating bill.
© Amanda Guercio / Macaulay LibraryArizona, April 05, 2015Adult male
Yellow parrotlike bill is distinctive. Males are grayish overall with red highlights on the crest, wings, and tail.
© Chris Wood / Macaulay LibraryTexas, December 30, 2015Habitat
Found in desert scrub, dry grasslands, and open mesquite forest.
© Teresa Connell / Macaulay LibraryArizona, January 02, 2016Similar SpeciesNorthern Cardinal
Male
Male Northern Cardinals have a red back and a red bill unlike Pyrrhuloxias, which have a gray back and a yellow bill.
© Alix d'Entremont / Macaulay LibraryNova Scotia, May 02, 2017Similar SpeciesNorthern Cardinal
Female
Female Northern Cardinals have a browner body than female Pyrrhuloxias with a red (not yellow) bill.
© Michel Laquerre / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, February 17, 2017Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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