Pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhuloxia, male

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Pyrrhuloxia, female, March

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A distinctive songbird of arid scrublands, the Pyrrhuloxia lives in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. A thick-billed, reddish bird with a crest, it superficially resembles its close relative, the Northern Cardinal.

Description

• Medium-sized songbird.
• Long, pointed red crest.
• Short, rounded, very stout pale bill.
• Brown or gray body with red wings and tail.

• Size: 21 cm (8 in)
• Weight: 24-43 g (0.85-1.52 ounces)

Sex Differences

Male has bold red face and red line running from chin to belly. Female has gray face and underparts.

Sound

Song a series of whistled "what-cheer, what-cheer" notes or metallic "quink" notes. Call a sharp metallic chip.

Conservation Status

Large areas of the Pyrrhuloxia's habitat in the southwestern United States have been lost to development by humans. Populations appear to be declining slightly.

Other Names

Pyrrhuloxia (French)
Cardenal torito, cardenal huasteco, cardenal pardo, cardenal desertico (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• Some Pyrrhuloxias remain present on their breeding grounds all year, while others wander in winter. Wanderers may occur in habitats where they do not breed, such as urban areas.
• Foraging winter flocks of Pyrrhuloxias may number as many as 1,000 birds.

• The name "Pyrrhuloxia" is a combination of the genus names Pyrrhula (bullfinches) and Loxia (crossbills). The roots mean "flame-colored" and "crooked," and aptly describe the reddish bird with the crooked bill.

• Where both the Pyrrhuloxia and Northern Cardinal breed, territories of the two species may overlap, and no conflicts have been recorded between the species.

Sources used to construct this page:

Tweit, R. C., and C. W. Thompson. 1999. Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus). In The Birds of North America, No. 391 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.