Quick Answer
The bird that looks most similar to a male cardinal is the pyrrhuloxia. The pyrrhuloxia is often referred to as the “desert cardinal” due to its visual resemblance to the common cardinal. Like the cardinal, the male pyrrhuloxia has vivid red plumage, a crest on its head, a heavy bill, and a black face mask. However, the pyrrhuloxia can be distinguished from the cardinal by its grey, rather than red, feathers on its wings and its lighter red coloration. The pyrrhuloxia is found in the southwestern United States and Mexico, while the cardinal has a wider range in North America.
What Is a Cardinal?
The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a medium-sized songbird native to North America. The male cardinal is known for its brilliant red plumage covering its entire body except for its black face mask. The female cardinal has lighter brown plumage with reddish accents on its wings, tail, and crest. Cardinals live in various habitats from gardens to forests across eastern and central North America.
Cardinals are popular birds that are easily recognized by bird watchers. The male cardinal is one of the most vividly colored common backyard birds in North America. Its bright red plumage stands out against winter landscapes. Cardinals are non-migratory, remaining in their territory year-round.
Identification Features
Here are some key identification features of the male northern cardinal:
- Bright red plumage covering most of its body
- Black face mask
- Prominent crest on its head
- Thick, heavy, reddish orange bill
- Song is a series of whistled phrases
The female cardinal is mostly light brown with reddish accents on its wings, tail, and crest. It lacks the male’s bright red plumage and black face mask.
What Is a Pyrrhuloxia?
The pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus) is a bird species closely related to the northern cardinal. Its common name comes from its scientific name, which is derived from Greek words meaning “flame-colored”. It is also known as the desert cardinal due to its resemblance to the cardinal and its presence in the arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Like the cardinal, the pyrrhuloxia is a medium-sized grey songbird with a short neck, long tail, thick bill, and crest on its head. The male pyrrhuloxia has vivid red plumage on most of its body, with grey feathers on its wings and tail. It has a black face mask and throat that contrasts with its red plumage.
The female pyrrhuloxia is grey with yellowish feathers on its wings, tail, and crest. Both the male and female pyrrhuloxia have lighter red plumage compared to the brighter red of the cardinal.
Identification Features
Here are some key identification features of the male pyrrhuloxia:
- Red plumage on most of its body
- Grey feathers on its wings and tail (unlike the all-red cardinal)
- Black face mask
- Light red (pinkish) color compared to cardinal
- Whistled song
The female pyrrhuloxia is predominantly grey with subtle reddish accents on parts of its body. It lacks the male’s black face mask.
Geographic Range Comparison
The cardinal and pyrrhuloxia occupy different geographic ranges despite their visual similarities. This separation allows bird watchers to distinguish them by location.
Cardinal Range
The cardinal is widespread across eastern and central North America. Its range extends:
- From southeastern Canada down through the eastern and central United States
- West to the Great Plains and parts of New Mexico and Arizona
- Along the Pacific coast from Washington to California
Cardinals live in varied habitats including woodland edges, gardens, parks, and wetlands within this wide range. They are common backyard birds across much of their range.
Pyrrhuloxia Range
The pyrrhuloxia occupies a more restricted range centered on the southwestern United States and Mexico. Its range extends:
- From central and southern Arizona across to south Texas
- South into central and western Mexico
Within this range, pyrrhuloxias frequent desert scrub, mesquite, and thorn forest habitats. They are a characteristic bird of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Desert regions.
Behavioral Differences
In addition to appearance and range, the cardinal and pyrrhuloxia exhibit some subtle differences in their behavior:
Cardinal Behavior
- Gregarious and often found in small flocks
- Readily visits bird feeders in backyards
- Male frequently sings from high, prominent perches
- Nest is a tidy cup of twigs lined with grasses
Pyrrhuloxia Behavior
- Usually seen in pairs or family groups, less often in flocks
- Wary of bird feeders and human presence
- Male sings from lower, concealed perches
- Nest is a loose, untidy platform of sticks and debris
These behavioral differences reflect the pyrrhuloxia’s more arid, sparsely vegetated desert habitat compared to the cardinal’s lush eastern habitat. The pyrrhuloxia is generally more timid and cryptic than the cardinal.
Conclusion
The pyrrhuloxia is the bird species most visually similar to a male northern cardinal. While both have vivid red plumage, black faces, and crested heads, the pyrrhuloxia can be distinguished by its grey wings, lighter red color, more restricted southwestern range, and shyer desert-adapted habits. The cardinal and pyrrhuloxia occupy separate geographic ranges but may overlap in areas of the southwestern United States like Arizona where birders must look more closely to tell them apart. Their similarities reflect their close relationship as songbirds of the Cardinalidae family.