About the Pyrrhuloxia
The pyrrhuloxia or desert cardinal is a medium-sized North American songbird found in the American southwest and northern Mexico. This distinctive species with a short, stout bill, red crest, and red wings closely resembles the northern cardinal and the vermilion cardinal, which are in the same genus.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The desert cardinal is a medium-sized song bird; the length for both sexes is about 8.3 in (21 cm), while the typical weight is 0.8–1.5 oz (24–43 g). The most obvious differences between the male desert cardinal and the northern cardinal are in their coloring. The desert cardinal is predominantly brownish-gray with a red breast, a red mask, and a yellow, parrot-like bill that is stout and rounded. The females of the two species resemble each other much more closely, but the shapes of their bills are diagnostic.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Pyrrhuloxia sounds like
Where the Pyrrhuloxia lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Canada.
When to see the Pyrrhuloxia
Peak activity in April · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Vermilion CardinalCardinalis phoeniceusThe vermilion cardinal is 19 cm (7.5 in) long.
Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalisThe northern cardinal is a mid-sized songbird with a body length of 21–23.5 cm (8.3–9.3 in) and a wingspan of 25–31 cm (9.8–12.2 in).
Side by side: Northern Cardinal vs Pyrrhuloxia · Dickcissel vs Pyrrhuloxia
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