13 Red Birds in New Mexico – Picture and ID Guide

Male White-winged Crossbill

New Mexico boasts thirteen species of red birds, and this guide will help you identify them and know when to spot them.

There are 13 species of red birds in New Mexico that have been spotted. Of these, 9 species are recognized on state checklists as regularly occurring, and an additional 4 species are considered rare or accidental.

This guide will help you identify the species of red birds in New Mexico according to avibase. Some of these birds migrate, and some remain all year.

You can print out a free bird identification worksheet for New Mexico to help you identify all birds that visit your backyard.

The most common red bird in both summer and winter in New Mexico is the House Finch. The Summer Tanager is more commonly seen in summer, and other species are more commonly spotted in winter in New Mexico. Continue reading to find out more about these red birds.

13 Red Birds in New Mexico:

  1. House Finch
  2. Summer Tanager
  3. Cassin’s Finch
  4. Pyrrhuloxia
  5. Red Crossbill
  6. Northern Cardinal
  7. Hepatic Tanager
  8. Painted Bunting
  9. Pine Grosbeak
  10. Scarlet Tanager
  11. White-winged Crossbill
  12. Common Redpoll
  13. Purple Finch

13 Red Birds in New Mexico:

1. House Finch

house finch male

House Finches are very common all year in New Mexico.

House Finches are another bird with a red head and breast in the males and brown-streaked coloring in the females. 

  • Length: 5.1-5.5 in (13-14 cm)
  • Weight: 0.6-0.9 oz (16-27 g)
  • Wingspan: 7.9-9.8 in (20-25 cm)

Originally only in western states, it was introduced to the eastern states and has done very well, even pushing out the Purple Finch.

They can be found in parks, farms, forest edges, and backyard feeders. They can be found in noisy groups that are hard to miss.

You can attract more House Finches to backyard feeders with black oil sunflower seeds or nyjer seeds in tube feeders or platform feeders.

2. Summer Tanager

summer tanager

Summer Tanagers can be spotted in New Mexico between April and October, mostly in Gila National Forest, Lincoln National Forest, and Seviletta National Refuge.

Summer Tanager males are bright red birds, and females are yellow. 

  • Piranga rubra
  • Length: 6.7 in (17 cm)
  • Weight: 1.1 oz (30 g)

They breed in southern and eastern states before heading to Central and South America for winter.

They are forest songbirds found in open woodlands and feed on bees and wasps in mid-flight. They catch them and kill them by beating them against a branch and rubbing the stinger off before eating them.

You can attract more Summer Tanagers to your backyard with berry bushes and fruit trees.

3. Cassin’s Finch

Cassin’s Finches are residents of New Mexico all year.

Cassin’s Finches have a red crown, rosy pink head, red-breasted with a whiteish belly, and brown back and wings.

  • Length: 6.3 in (16 cm)
  • Weight: 0.8-1.2 oz (24-34 g)
  • Wingspan: 9.8-10.6 in (25-27 cm)

They can be found in mountain forests in western states, foraging in flocks for seeds.

They are not as common in backyards as House or Purple Finches. Still, they may be attracted with sunflower seed feeders, especially in winter, or fruiting shrubs such as cotoneaster, mulberries, firethorn, grape, and apple.

4. Pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhuloxia can be spotted in New Mexico all year, mainly in the southern part of the state.

Pyrrhuloxia males are grey with lots of red coloring to the face, crest, breast, and tail. Females are dull gray with less red color.

  • Cardinalis sinuatus
  • Length: 8.3 in (21 cm)
  • Weight: 0.8-1.5 oz (24-43 g)

They are residents of the hot deserts in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico.

During the breeding season, they fiercely defend their territory, but in winter, they can be found in flocks of up to 1000. 

Pyrrhuloxia feed primarily on seeds but also some insects. They can be found at feeders with sunflower seeds but prefer them scattered on the ground. 

5. Red Crossbill

red crossbill

Although not very common in New Mexico, Red Crossbills can be spotted in the state all year.

Red Crossbill males are red birds with darker wings and tails. Females are yellow and brown.

They can be found year-round in northern and western states and winter in eastern states.

They feed on conifer seeds and forage in flocks from tree to tree, even breaking unopened cones with their powerful beaks.  As well as coniferous forests, they can be found along roadsides consuming grit in the mornings.

6. Northern Cardinal

northern cardinal

Northern Cardinals are seen in New Mexico all year, but they are most commonly spotted during summer.

The bright red male Northern Cardinal is a bird with a red head, body, and tail, with black around their faces. They are an incredible sight, especially against a white winter background.  The females are also showy with their brown coloring, sharp brown crest, red highlights, and red beaks.

  • Length: 8.3-9.1 in (21-23 cm)
  • Weight: 1.5-1.7 oz (42-48 g)
  • Wingspan: 9.8-12.2 in (25-31 cm)

Northern Cardinals are found in eastern and southern states and will sometimes attack their reflection during breeding season as they obsessively defend their territories.

You can attract more Northern Cardinals to backyard feeders with sunflower seeds, peanut hearts, millet, and milo.

They will feed on large tube feeders, hoppers, platform feeders, or food scattered on the ground.

7. Hepatic Tanager

Hepatic Tanager

Hepatic Tanagers are rare in New Mexico, but they can be spotted here during summer between April and November.

Hepatic Tanager males are red birds with some gray on the back. Females are yellow.

  • Piranga flava
  • Length: 3.5-7.9 in (8.8-20 cm)
  • Weight: 0.8-1.7 oz (23-47 g)
  • Wingspan: 12.6 in (32 cm)

Hepatic Tanagers breed in southwestern states and Mexico before spending the winter in Mexico, Central, and South America.

They can be found in mountain ranges with pine or pine and oak woodlands and feed on insects and spiders. They will also eat some berries such as cherry and grapes.

8. Painted Bunting

Another rare red bird in New Mexico is the Painted Bunting. They can be spotted mainly in the southeastern part of the state during summer.

Painted Bunting males are a brightly colored patchwork of color with mostly red coloring underneath and with bright blue heads, green wings, and backs. Females are bright yellow-green.

  • Passerina ciris
  • Length: 4.7-5.1 in (12-13 cm)
  • Weight: 0.5-0.7 oz (13-19 g)

Painted Bunting breed in a few states, in the south-central and some coastal areas in the Southeast US, before migrating at night to Central America, southern Florida, and some Caribbean islands.

You can find Painted Bunting in semi-open habitats, mainly foraging for seeds and insects in the breeding season.

To attract painted Bunting to your yard, try adding low, dense vegetation, and feeders filled with white millet or black oil sunflower seeds.

9. Pine Grosbeak

pine grosbeak

Pine Grosbeaks are rare birds in New Mexico, but they can be spotted here all year, mostly around Santa Fe and the Carson National Forest.

Pine Grosbeaks are a species of finch. The males are red birds with gray on the wings and tail and two white wingbars. Females are gray with dull orange heads and rumps. They are large for finches and relatively slow.

  • Pinicola enucleator
  • Length: 7.9-9.8 in (20-25 cm)
  • Wingspan: 13.0 in (33 cm)

Pine Grosbeaks are mostly found in Canada, but some can be spotted along the US border, the mountainous west, and the Sierra Nevada in California.

They live in forests of pine, spruce, and fir, feeding on seeds, fruit, and buds from these trees. They will also eat some insects in the summer.  

You can attract Pine Grosbeaks to black oil sunflower seed feeders or suet feeders.

10. Scarlet Tanager

Scarlet tanager

Scarlet Tanagers are considered an accidental species in New Mexico, but they have been spotted in Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Cibola National Forest, and a few others in Valles Caldera National Preserve.

Scarlet Tanagers are bright red birds with black wings and tails. Females are yellow with darker wings and tails.

  • Piranga olivacea
  • Length: 6.3-6.7 in (16-17 cm)
  • Weight: 0.8-1.3 oz (23-38 g)
  • Wingspan: 9.8-11.4 in (25-29 cm)

They breed in eastern forests in summer before migrating to South America.

Scarlet Tanagers can be hard to spot as they stay high in the forest canopy. 

You can attract more Scarlet Tanagers by planting berry plants such as blackberries, raspberries, huckleberries, juneberries, serviceberries, mulberries, strawberries, and chokeberries.

11. White-winged Crossbill

Male White-winged Crossbill

White-winged Crossbills are considered an accidental or rare species in New Mexico, but they can be spotted in Cibola National Forest and Valles Caldera National Preserve.

White-winged Crossbills are finches with heavy crossed beaks. Males are red birds with black wings and tails and two white wingbars. Females are yellow and brown and with two white wing bars.

  • Loxia leucoptera
  • Length: 5.9-6.7 in (15-17 cm)
  • Weight: 0.8-0.9 oz (24-26 g)
  • Wingspan: 10.2-11.0 in (26-28 cm)

White-winged Crossbills live in forests in Canada, Alaska, and sometimes the northern US states when cone crops are poor further north. They can be found in spruce forests feeding on seeds.

Unusually these birds breed at any time of year as long as there is enough food.

They can often be heard in large flocks. 

12. Common Redpoll

Common Redpolls are an accidental species in New Mexico. They are very rare to see, but some have been spotted in Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

Common Redpolls have red foreheads, pinky breasts, and brown and white over the rest of their bodies.

  • Acanthis flammea
  • Length: 4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm)
  • Weight: 0.4-0.7 oz (11-20 g)
  • Wingspan: 7.5-8.7 in (19-22 cm)

They can be found in winter in northern states and less frequently in central states.

In winter, they will sometimes tunnel into the snow to stay warm during the night. They can eat up to 42% of their body mass every day and can store up to 2 grams of seeds in a stretchy park of their esophagus.

They can be found in weedy fields or feeding on catkins in trees, but they will also come to feeders for small seeds such as nyjer seeds or thistle.

13. Purple Finch

Purple Finch

Purple Finches are considered an accidental species in Nex Mexico, but a few were spotted in Lake Summer and Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

Purple Finches look very similar to House Finch with the reddish-purple head and breast with more brown on the back and wings. 

  • Length: 4.7-6.3 in (12-16 cm)
  • Weight: 0.6-1.1 oz (18-32 g)
  • Wingspan: 8.7-10.2 in (22-26 cm)

They breed in Canada and overwinter in eastern states but can be found all year in the north-east are Pacific coast.

You can spot them in evergreen forests feeding on seeds but also buds, nectar, and berries.

They readily come to feeders for black oil sunflower seeds.

How Frequently Red birds are Spotted in New Mexico in Summer and Winter

Checklists for the state are a great resource to find out which birds are commonly spotted here. These lists show which red birds are most commonly recorded on checklists for New Mexico on ebird in summer and winter.

Common Red Birds in New Mexico in Summer:

House Finch 45.4%
Summer Tanager 9.3%
Cassin’s Finch 2.2%
Hepatic Tanager 2.1%
Red Crossbill 1.7%
Pyrrhuloxia 1.7%
Northern Cardinal 1.4%
Painted Bunting 0.7%
Pine Grosbeak 0.1%
Scarlet Tanager <0.1%
White-winged Crossbill <0.1%

Common Red Birds in New Mexico in Winter:

House Finch 47.3%
Pyrrhuloxia 5.0%
Cassin’s Finch 4.8%
Northern Cardinal 0.8%
Red Crossbill 0.8%
Pine Grosbeak <0.1%
Purple Finch <0.1%
Common Redpoll <0.1%
Summer Tanager <0.1%
White-winged Crossbill <0.1%