16 Amazing Birds with Red on Head

Birds are some of the most colourful and exotic creatures. Birds are well-known for their beautiful colour feather but red plumage is very common in the bird species. Research suggests that different colours in bird species are a result of various factors such as genetic code, diet, habitat etc. Also, Red plumage birds have superior colour vision than other words. So here is a list of the top 16 Birds with Red on Head,

Birds with Red on Head

1. House finch

House finches are gregarious finches in Ohio native to Western and eastern North America. Most similar to purple and Cassin’s Finch, house finch are commonly found in open areas and forages on the ground or in vegetation. Also, Males are generally orange-red with a bright red crown, throat, breast. However, females are greyish-brown with thick, blurry streaks. Moreover, House Finch primarily feed on grains, seeds, berries weed seeds etc. It is one of the amazing birds with red on its head. House finches are recently introduced to eastern North America (and Hawaii) making them one of the beautiful birds of Iowa.

2. Pine grosbeak

Found commonly in coniferous woods across Alaska the Western mountains of the United States Canada and in sub-Arctic Fennoscandia, Siberia, pine Grosbeak is a large and plump, heavy chested Finch with a round-red head. Also, males are reddish-pink and grey while females are not so bright but still pretty. Also, it is important to know that Pine Grosbeak is the only species in the genus Pinicola. Pine Grosbeak primarily feeds on small fruits and is one of the subArctic resident bird species exhibiting irruptive behaviour.

Also Read: 10 Birds With Red Beaks With Pictures

Image Source: Wikimedia

3. Northern cardinal

The northern cardinal is a medium-sized passerine bird species with an orange beak and short, thick bill, long tail and a prominent Crest. Also, Northern Cardinals are one of the most popular bird species found throughout most of eastern North America, South-Western U.S and also in Mexico. Moreover, males are are vibrant red in colour while females are of reddish olive colour. Also, it is interesting to note that the red plumage colour of the males is produced from carotenoid pigments in their diet. Northern cardinals are commonly seen hunting in Woodlands, gardens, shrublands and wetlands.

Also Read: 10 Extinct Birds In The World

4. Scarlet Tanager

Scarlet tanagers are passerine bird species that have brilliant red and black wings, thick rounded bills, large tails. Also, it is one of the most exotic species of northeastern Woodlands that are commonly found in oak forests. But, most of the time they remain out of sight because they forage in the leafy upper branches. Scarlet tanager particularly inhabits deciduous forest, coniferous forest dominated by oak, pine and other large trees. Also, in winter they change their habitat to tropical rainforest in lowlands just to the east of the Andes. It is also listed as one of the most beautiful orange and black birds in the world.

5. Vermilion flycatcher

Vermilion flycatcher is a small passerine bird species largely widespread across the southwestern U.S to Argentina. These are brightly coloured bird species with males having bright red crowns, chest and brown wings and tail. Females lack vivid red colouration and they are hard to identify. These are commonly found in open areas with trees or shrubs in savanna, scrub agricultural areas, riparian woodlands. Also, it is interesting to note that Vermilion flycatchers are solitary Birds that may form small flocks of not more than five individuals and love to spend most of their time in tree perching, landing on the ground to catch insects.

Also Read: Top 10 Amazing Pink Birds In The World

6. Red-headed Woodpecker

Also known as a grey-faced type of Woodpecker and one of the popular woodpecker species of Ohio, red-headed Woodpeckers n Florida have a snowy white body, half inky black wings and entirely crimson head. The red-headed Woodpecker is a medium-sized Bird with approximately 20 cm in length. It is one of the most exotic bird species in North America and is most easily recognised by its crimson head. Also, it is rated as endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s red list. Also, males and females have identical plumage but males have a red forehead patch, which is lacking in females. It is also one of the commonly seen woodpeckers in Pennsylvania.

Also Read: 10 Types Of Woodpeckers in Arkansas

7. Purple finch

Most popularly described as a “sparrow dipped in raspberry juice”, purple finch is a small passerine finches species found commonly in the Colorado, Africa, South America and Northern hemisphere. Purple finches are Chunky, have conical beaks, short tails (notched at the trip). Also, they are pink-red on the head and have a cloudy white belly and brown back. However, females have no red. Moreover, Purple Finches are hard to be seen because they forage high in trees and in winter descend in weedy fields. Furthermore, purple finches are commonly found in coniferous forests and mixed deciduous forests.

Also Read: 9 Types Of Woodpeckers In Michigan

Image Source: Wikimedia

8. European goldfinch

European goldfinch is a small passerine bird species mainly native to North Africa, and western and Central Asia. European goldfinch is fairly common in open woodlands, parks, gardens, farmlands etc. These are exotic Birds species with red faces, black-white heads, brown upper parts and black and yellow wings. However, both males and females are broadly similar but males have a red face with black markings around the eyes and females have a slightly smaller red area on the face. Also, these bird species are mostly found in open, partially wooded lowlands.

9. Northern flicker

Native to most of North America, Central America, Cuba and the Cayman Islands, Northern flicker or common flicker is one of the only brownish woodpeckers. Easily recognised by its large white patch on the back, Northern flickers are colourful Birds with brown crowns, black round spots on the body, yellow under-surface wings and tails. Also, males have a black streak along each side of the throat which is missing in females. Moreover, females are duller in colour than males. Northern flicker mostly forages on the ground and seeds commonly on insects, wild fruits especially wild cherries.

10. Pileated Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker is native to North America that inhabits deciduous forests in eastern North America, The Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada and the parts of the Pacific coast. Pileated Woodpecker is a large, entirely black Woodpecker and one of the biggest and most striking forest Birds of the continent. It has black and white strips down the neck and a flaming red crest and a long bill. Also, the word “Pileated” actually refers to the bird’s prominent red crest. Pileated woodpeckers mainly feed on fruits, nuts berries, insects and are commonly found inhabiting forested areas with large mature hardwood trees.

11. Pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhuloxia is also known as desert cardinal is a medium-sized bird species mostly seen in the regions of the American southwest and northern Mexico. The beautiful songbird can grow upto 8.3 in (21 cm) and avarage wieght is 0.8–1.5 oz (24–43 g). Pyrrhuloxia generally preys on crushed peanuts, cracked corn, safflower seeds, black oil sunflower seeds, white milo, and berries. The natural predators of the bird species are snakes, Owls, Hawks, Blue Jays, Squirrels, Domestic Dogs And Cats. The avarage lifespan of Pyrrhuloxia is 8.1 years in the wild.

Image Source: Andrej Chudy

12. Common Redpoll

The Common Redpoll is also known as mealy redpoll is a bird species that belong to the finch family. It loves to thrive in the Arctic redpoll alongside thickets or shrubs. It can grow up to 4.7 to 5.5 inches in length and have an avarage wieght of 0.4 to 0.7 ounces. Talking about the appearance, it is a grey-brown coloured bird species and can be identified by the dark streaks on the upper side of the body and flanks. The entire body of the bird species is covered with feathers to prevent freezing during the cold winters. The avarage life span of the bird species is 7 years in the wild.

13. Red-breasted Sapsucker

The Red-breasted Sapsuckerscientifically known as Sphyrapicus ruber is medium-sized bird species native to the west coast of North America. Talking about the appearance, the adult species can be identified by the redhead and upper chest along with a white lower belly and rump. The bird species usually prey on insects. Red-breasted Sapsucker avarage lifespan is estimated to be 2 to 3 years in the wild. Talking about the apperance, it has a black and white-coloured body along with a red colour head and torso. The lower abdomen and rump are white in colour.

14. Red Crossbill

One of the birds with red on head, the Red Crossbill has also known as common crossbill iN Europe is a passerine bird belonging to the Fringillidae family. The adult bird species can be easily identified because they are brightly coloured along with red or orange males and green or yellow females. It can grow upto 20 cm in length and have an avarage wieght is between 40-53 gms. Th total wingspan is between 27 to 29 cm. The avarage lifespan of the bird species is Red crossbill is 8 years in the wild.

15. Western Tanager

The Western Tanager bird species scientifically known as Piranga ludoviciana is an American songbird that belongs to the tanager family. The total length of the bird species is between 6.3 to 7.5 inches and an avarage wieght between 0.8 to 1.3 oz (24-36 g). The total wingspan of the bird species is 11.5 in (29 cm). The avarage lifespan of the western Tanager is between 7 to 8 years in the wild.

16. Summer Tanager

The Summer Tanager known as Piranga rubra was formerly placed in the tanager family and now they are classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The bird species prey on insects and the main threats are humans. It can grow upto 6.69 in (17 cm) in length and the avarage wieght of the species is between 1-1.4 (30-40 g). The avarage lifespan is 5 years in the wild. It is one of the birds with red on head.