What Do Cardinals Look Like?
If you are new to birding or have been into bird watching for some time yet haven’t noticed any cardinals, then you might be wondering at some point in your birding journey, “What do cardinals look like.”
FYI, cardinals look like other medium-sized birdies but what sets them apart from the rest is their bright red-colored plumage, melodious calls, and mating and territory-protecting behaviors.
But their plumage colors and physical characteristics vary depending upon the cardinal types we have briefly discussed in this article. So, let’s get straight into it without wasting any more time.
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01. The Northern Cardinal:
The most widespread and popular cardinal type in this world is the northern cardinal. This bird species has won the hearts of many birders with its awe-inspiring plumage and curiosity-stimulating behavior.
People have loved this enchanting bird for decades as it symbolizes love and loyalty. But very few bird watchers get the opportunity to spot northern cardinals.
Again even if some do, most of them can’t identify this cardinal type. So, how to identify a northern cardinal? What does it look like?
What Do Northern Cardinals Look Like?
Northern cardinals feature holly berry color all over their bodies, and their crests resemble the mohawk style. Their vibrant colors reflect brightly against the snow in the winter.
The male northern cardinals sport the mainstream red color, while females have a light brown-colored plumage and reddish-auburn tail and wing tips and crests.
Both male and female northern cardinals have the same color patch above their noses and necks. Speaking of the female’s patch, it’s light gray, while the male’s one has a soft black color.
The northern cardinals’ fledglings boast red-brown plumage until they fully grow and develop red or light brown colored feathers according to their genders.
However, in a rare case, northern cardinals can develop yellow-colored feathers that they achieve due to undergoing a genetic plumage variation known as xanthochroism.
Now let’s talk about their body size; all northern cardinals feature the same stocky, powerful, medium-sized bodies and a robust, nut-cracking beak. Below, we have described their body dimension; let’s check this out.
Physical Characteristics:
- Size: 7 to 9 Inches
- Color: Red (Male) & Pale Brown (Female)
- Wingspan: 10-12 Inches
- Crest Size: Triangular
- Weight: 1.51 Oz.
Where To Spot Northern Cardinals:
You can find the northern cardinals in Mexico, Central America, and the Eastern United States. These birds are ground feeders, so you will spot them near shrubs and bushes in overgrown fields, forest edges, hedgerows, wetlands, and other similar places.
As northern cardinals don’t migrate, they are widespread across those areas mentioned above. Hence, if you ever notice a cardinal, there is a high chance that it’s a northern cardinal.
02. The Vermilion Cardinal:
The vermilion cardinal, aka Venezuela cardinal, is native to Venezuela and Columbia. This birdie is famous for its bright plumage and whistling ability.
That said, if you have thought that the northern cardinals boast the brightest red color, you should take a gander at the Venezuela cardinal. Now, let’s explore how you can identify this bird of beauty.
What Do Vermilion Cardinals Look Like?
A vermilion cardinal features the brilliant scarlet color all over its body and comes with the classic crest and beak of cardinals.
The male bird has exotic red feathers with a black chin, while the female contains a combination of red and gray colored plumage.
Both male and female vermilion cardinals love to perch in erect posture on brushes’ tops or exposed branches. You can find them in arid areas and the dry forests of northern Venezuela and northeastern Colombia.
Physical Characteristics:
- Size: 4.7 to 9.8 Inches
- Color: Red (Male) & Red & Brown (Female)
- Wingspan: 9-11 Inches
- Weight: 0.8 to 1.5 Inches
03. The Desert Cardinal Or Pyrrhuloxia:
The Desert cardinal is widely known as the pyrrhuloxia. It shares some similarities with northern cardinals in terms of appearance and looks.
A desert cardinal features the same stout body, thick beak, and conspicuous crest as a northern cardinal, yet it exhibits some differences.
So, let’s find out what sets this beautiful bird apart from the northern cardinal.
What Do Desert Cardinals Look Like?
The pyrrhuloxia or desert cardinals boast grayish plumage, but their wings, faces, crests, tails, and bellies have burnt-red colored feathers. Alongside that, their curved beaks come in yellow color.
Although male and female desert cardinals look pretty similar, the female birds pose some differences in physical attributes.
Such as they have a comparatively buffier shade of gray plumage than males; plus, their red feathers are less bright than male desert cardinals.
Physical Characteristics:
- Size: 8.3 Inches
- Wingspan: 10-12 Inches
- Color: Pale Gray with Red Patches
- Weight: 0.8 to 1.5 Oz.
Where To Spot the Pyrrhuloxia Or Desert Cardinal:
You can spot the pyrrhuloxia in North America, some southern parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and some areas of Texas. These birdies hide in shrubby areas and perch on the tree, bushes, cacti, or other pole-like structures.
04. The Red-Crested Cardinal:
Red-crested Cardinals are medium-sized songbirds that look quite similar in shape to northern cardinals. But it is distinctly different from the northern cardinal in many aspects.
While the northern cardinal is bright red, the red-crested cardinals are predominantly gray. That stated, let’s figure out what this bird looks like.
What Do Red-Crested Cardinals Look Like?
Both male and female red-crested cardinals boast the same dark gray plumage on the back of their necks and stomachs.
Their heads, crests, and upper breasts are red; their bills are silver-gray, and their legs are dark. But during the juvenile period, these birdies develop brown heads, crests, upper breasts, and dark bills.
Physical Characteristics:
- Size: 5 to 9 Inches
- Wingspan: 9 to 11 Inches
- Color: White, Gray & Red
- Weight: 1.05 to 1.23 Oz.
Where To Spot The Red-Crested Cardinals:
You can find them in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Hawaii & Puerto Rico. The red-crested cardinals love to live in semi-open areas with trees and shrubs. Hence, you can mostly find them in lawns, forests, tropical shrub lands, and parks.
Wind Up:
Determining the cardinal types is easy if you know what to look for in a cardinal whenever you spot one. In this blog post, we have shared how you can easily identify cardinals in a snap.
So, next time you won’t struggle any more when it comes to figuring out this enigmatic bird species. We hope you liked reading this content and will share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest. That’s all for this article; we will catch you with the next one. Happy Birding.
