- Cardinalis sinuatus
Identification
7-1/2 to 8-1/2 inches long
Male
- Grey overall
- Red on the face, crest, wings, tail and underparts
Female shows little or no red; the bill is a dull yellow.
Similar Species
Similar to the female and juvenile Northern Cardinal, the Pyrrhuloxia's thick, strongly curved, parrot-like orange-yellow bill helps identify it.
Distribution
It is primarily a resident of Mexico, but can be found in the southern parts of the U.S. states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Three subspecies are recognized[1]:
- C. s. fulvescens:
- C. s. sinuatus:
- Arid southern New Mexico to south-eastern Texas and north-eastern Mexico
- C. s. peninsulae:
- Baja California (south of latitude 27°N)
Habitat
This bird is fairly common in thorny brush and mesquite thickets of dry streambeds, desert, woodland edges and ranchlands.
Behaviour
Form huge flocks in the winter.
When approached, a pair will fly up to a high watch post, erect their crests, and sound a loud alarm.
Breeding
A clutch of 3-4 white eggs are laid in a loosely built cup made up of grass, twigs and bark. It is hidden in a dense thorny bush.
Diet
The diet consists of seeds and insects and fruits, fond of cotton worms and weevils These birds feed on seeds and insects and benefit cotton fields by destroying great numbers of cotton worms and weevils.
Vocalisation
Song a series of whistled "what-cheer, what-cheer" notes thinner and shorter than the song of the Northern Cardinal. The call is a sharp metallic "quink" or chip.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- aviary.owls.com
- Cornell
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Pyrrhuloxia. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 20 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pyrrhuloxia
External Links
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