Get to Know the Red Birds of North America

Fact-checked by Kenn Kaufman, field editor, Audubon magazine. 

North America is home to more than 20 species of birds that are mostly red or prominently feature red plumage, including the House Finch, Northern Cardinal, and Scarlet Tanager. Most birds with bright red feathers that you'll see in your backyard or at a feeder are male—females of the same species are often brown, olive, or yellow. There’s a good reason for this: Male birds typically have flashy features to attract their mates, while female songbirds sport more muted tones to stay camouflaged while incubating their eggs. Interestingly, scientists only recently discovered how birds get their red feathers. Explore the most common red birds across the country below, and be sure to learn more about each species by visiting their profile on our free online bird guide. 

Four Feeder Regulars With Red Feathers

Below are four common birds that visit feeders and have red plumage. Here is how to quickly identify them.

Northern Cardinal 

The Northern Cardinal is a medium-size songbird readily found across the eastern United States and parts of the Southwest. Both males and females have long tales and prominent crests. Males sport cherry-red body plumage and a black throat and face mask. Females have mostly tawny or gray plumage with some red on their wings, tails, and crests. 

House Finch 

Another feeder regular, the House Finch is smaller than a cardinal, with no crest and a shorter, notched tail. Males are brownish gray with a red head and streaky red breast that is not nearly as bright as the red of the cardinal. Female House Finches are completely brown with brown-streaked breasts.  

Red-bellied Woodpecker 

The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a common backyard visitor—especially at suet feeders—and is often confused for the Red-headed Woodpecker thanks to its prominent red cap. Red-bellied Woodpeckers are medium-size birds with black-and-white barred backs and a faint wash of red on their brownish-gray bellies, for which they are named. 

Red-winged Blackbird 

Although mostly black, the Red-winged Blackbird’s gleaming red shoulder patches are so vibrant and eye-catching that people unfamiliar with the birds rely on this field mark as their main point of reference. Red-winged Blackbirds are most often found around marshy areas in the spring and open fields in the fall, but they'll happily take over your feeders any time of year. 
 

Common Red Birds You Can See in the United States

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 

One of the east’s most common feeder visitors, this bird is unmistakable thanks to the male’s vibrant plumage and both sexes’ tall crest. 

House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 

Found at feeders and in backyards across the country, this is our other most common red bird, though not nearly as red or distinct as the cardinal. 

Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) 

Often confused with the similar-looking House Finch, the Purple Finch—which is more of a deep, jammy red—has notably more coloration throughout its body. 

Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) 

A stunning species, the Scarlet Tanager is possibly our most famous red bird other than the Northern Cardinal despite not being a feeder visitor. These birds, accented with bold black wings, are elusive canopy foragers. 

Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) 

True to its name, this species calls southern states home during summer, where entirely red males and yellow females forage in treetops. 

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 

With a bold red cap, the Red-bellied Woodpecker is commonly seen in backyards and parks across the country, where its rolling call carries far. 

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 

Another bird with only a touch of red, the Red-winged Blackbird’s flaming epaulettes are this bird’s defining characteristic and impossible to miss.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) 

The only hummingbird that breeds east of the Mississippi, males have a brilliant red gorget that they flash while feeding at flowers and feeders across the east. 

Less Common Red Birds 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) 

Known for the bright red patch on its breast, this large songbird is a migrant to northern states during the summer, where it can be lured to feeders. 

Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) 

A chunky finch of northern conifer forests and higher elevations in the west, the crossbill's  twisted beak distinguishes this species and is used for prying open pine cones. 

Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) 

Pine Grosbeaks are chunky finches that can be seen in western and northern conifer forests conifer forests. Males sport red heads, backs, and chests. 

Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus)  

A resident of the southwest, this flashy flycatcher is easily identified by the male’s blazing breast and crest. Often perched and hunting around water. 

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 

Unlike the Red-bellied, the striking Red-headed Woodpecker has an entirely red head and is less common across its eastern range, where it's found in open woodlands.

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

Our largest North America woodpecker, this bird and its crimson crest can be seen gliding through mature forests throughout the eastern United States and parts of the west. It's loud, staccato laughter often means its heard before being seen. 

Other Red Birds You May Encounter 

Birds with limited ranges, limited red plumage, or that can be elusive. 

• Painted Redstart (Myioborus pictus)
  A red-bellied, dapper summer resident in the southern extremes of Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas 
• Red-faced Warbler (Cardellina rubrifrons)
  The name says it all. Found only in Arizona and New Mexico during breeding months. 
• Redpoll (Acanthis flammea)
  A red-foreheaded winter visitor from Canada's boreal forest to northern U.S. forests and feeders. 
• White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera)
  Another strictly winter visitor. Similar in appearance to the Red Crossbill but more pinkish red with white wing bars. 
• Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
  A bright red cap and white eyes distinguish this common species throughout the West Coast and Southwest. 
• Lewis’s Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis)
  Green is this western woodpecker's telltale field mark, but it also has a contrasting bold red face and fainter belly. 
• Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)
  Two red-throated, red-capped woodpeckers commonly found throughout the mountainous west and across eastern woods, respectively.
• Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber)
  Still fairly common, this woodpecker easily identified along the West Cost by its entirely red head and upper red breast. 
• Cassin's Finch (Haemorhous cassinii)
  This near-lookalike of the Purple Finch lives mainly in the high mountains of the West. 
• Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus)
  Looking similar in profile to the Northern Cardinal, both sexes features much less red and way more gray and can be seen in the southern extremes of Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas

Where and When to See Red Birds

House Finches and Red-winged Blackbirds are the only bird species with red plumage that can be seen in a variety of habitats across the country year-round. To the east, the Northern Cardinal, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Red-headed Woodpecker are year-round residents of woodlands, edge habitat, and parks. As is often the case with birds, males tend to be the brightest sex for attracting mates, so spring and summer are the seasons with the most and brightest red birds. 

To see red neotropical migrants—birds that migrate from Central and South America to breed in the United States or Canada—timing is everything. These birds, which are absent in winter, suddenly appear in the spring, some sticking around and others moving through to northern breeding ranges. In the Southwest, that means the Vermilion Flycatcher becomes obvious around water. Throughout the south, the Summer Tanager becomes common in woodland canopies, as does the Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Scarlet Tanager to the east. Pine Grosbeaks can be seen year-round in higher elevation coniferous western forests, and Purple Finches are more likely to be winter visitors in northern states if they come south searching for food. 

How to Attract Red Birds to Your Yard 

1. Provide a variety of feeders, from hanging and hopper feeders to attract finches and other songbirds to suet feeders for woodpeckers and hardy winter songbirds. 
2. Provide a bird bath, ideally with a drip to attract even more species. 
3. Plant native plants. Discover which plants are the best for the birds near you with our native plants database. 
4. For more fun facts and tips on feeding the birds you love, get our Joy of Birds email and Audubon magazine by becoming a member. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Red Birds 

Q: What is the most common red bird in North America? 

The most common red bird you might see in your yard, at a park, or on your way to work is the House Finch. A feeder regular, this species can be found in a wide variety of habitats and is a year-round resident across the continental United States. Largely brown, males sport red on their head and chest, while females have no red at all and feature a streaky breast. 

Q: Why are only male birds red—and how do they become red? 

In nature, the color red is often related to sexual selection. Red birds are most often male, and the brighter the plumage, the more successful the males are at attracting and finding mates. However, scientists only recently discovered how birds become red: The combination of certain genes and a unique enzyme allows their bodies to turn the yellow carotenoids absorbed from certain foods into the color red. 

Q: What red bird has a black mask? 

The Northern Cardinal is the most common and conspicuous red bird with a black mask in North America, found across much of the eastern United States. The other red bird that features a mask would be the Vermilion Flycatcher, a resident of the Southwest during breeding months. 

Q: How do I identify a red bird I just saw?  

For basic tips on identifying birds, you can start with this guide. Key clues to consider are size, field marks beyond color, behavior, and the bird's habitat to making a positive identification. And of course, just giving a scroll through our free online bird guide might be the easiest way to quickly find the species you just spotted. 

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Audubon's Bird Migration Explorer let's you follow the migratory paths of more than 450 bird species  Check out the Scarlet Tanager's below—and head on over to the platform to check out the travels of your other favorite migrants! 

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