Pyrrhuloxia males are grey with lots of red coloring to the face, crest, breast, and tail. Females are dull gray with less red coloring.
- Cardinalis sinuatus
- Length: 8.3 in (21 cm)
- Weight: 0.8-1.5 oz (24-43 g)
Range
They are residents of the hot deserts in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico.
Habitat And Diet
During the breeding season, they fiercely defend their territory, but in winter, they can be found in flocks of up to 1000.
Pyrrhuloxias feed mostly on seeds but also on insects. They can be found at feeders with sunflower seeds but more often prefer them scattered on the ground.Â
Pyrrhuloxia Song:
Nests
Nests of Pyrrhuloxias are built by females from twigs, bark, and grass and lined with softer material, such as hair, plant material, and feathers. The nests are in trees or shrubs at the end of branches.
They lay around three eggs, which take two weeks to hatch, and around a further twelve days for the young to leave the nest.
Attract Pyrrhuloxias
Attract them to your backyard with sunflower seeds and native fruiting shrubs.
Fun fact:
Pyrrhuloxias rarely drink water, which is good as it is so scarce in their desert habitat. Instead, they get moisture from eating their insect prey.