We know birds that come in a wide range and variety of colours. The different colours indeed add beauty and vibrant looks to these birds. In particular, the red colour looks quite mesmerizing, lovely, and eye-catchy on birds. How many red color birds do you all know about till date? We bet most of you can first think of the common cardinals. But did you know there are quite a few variety of beautiful red birds on the globe? These birds are popular for their exotic and stunning looks, with colorful plumage, incredible looks and markings, exuding attractiveness.
With such vibrant red colour, spotting the red birds is quite easy. So today, we have compiled a list of the most gorgeous and beautiful red birds globally. Let us check them out and learn more about them.
Why Do Some Birds Have Red Color?
The red colour on birds is very interesting. It is indeed exciting to know how the birds turned red or had red in their plumage, feathers, or neck. Scientists try to detect the cause behind this through various research. Most often, it is said that the red pigments are high, perhaps due to the bird’s genetic quality. However, another team of studies says that few birds have a gene-coded enzyme that can convert yellow pigments from their diet into red pigments, which they then use to colour feathers, skin, or bills. Isn’t it interesting?
20 Big and Small Size Red Feather Birds in the World:
Here we go; let us now explore all about the vibrant looks of several varieties of red birds with pictures. Continue reading to learn more.
1. Northern Cardinal:
Most of you are aware of Northern Cardinal, the popular variety when it comes to red colored birds. These birds are largely present around the Eastern side of United States and Southwest. The Northern Cardinals have bright and vibrant red plumage. They are very easy to see given the beautiful, loud colour. Their chirping is also quite loud and, indeed, often attracts attention. Besides the red colour, a few of these birds have a tinge of brown around their feathers too. Northern Cardinals red bird are seed eaters; you can spot them around regions with thick foliage.
2. Scarlet Tanager:
Another beautiful red colour bird which we immensely love is Scarlet Tanager. This is also often found around the Eastern United States and is native to those regions. These beautiful birds are distinct in their looks and often stand out with their vibrant, lovely colour. The male birds have bright red besides black coloring, and female Scarlet Tanagers have a yellowish-green tinge of colour that blends in beautifully with their foliage.
3. Pine Grosbeak:
Another beautiful red color bird variety we came across is Pine Grosbeak. If you haven’t heard about this bird, you have to check it out. The bird is generally spotted near the Northern rocky mountains and cooler habitats of Canada. It makes its home near fir trees and forests. The bird is quite easy to locate due to its iconic gray and red coloring. Female Pine Grosbeaks instead have a yellow head and back.
4. Vermillion Flycatcher:
Have you heard of Vermillion Flycatcher? These small and beautiful red birds look stunning and gorgeous. They are insect-eating birds that have gorgeous red heads and bodies. Both males and female Vermillion Flycatchers have red feathers, but in general, male birds are easy to recognize because the females have a tinge of pink patch near the lower belly. The Vermillion Flycatchers generally reside near deserts, primarily around Mexico, the Gulf Coast, Texas, Arizona, and Southern California.
5. Red Warbler:
Red Warbler birds, too, deserve our attention for their striking, vibrant looks and beautiful feathers. Red Warblers are found near Mexico regions, often located near fir, oak, and pine forests. Adult birds are red in colour with a silvery white patch near the cheeks. Female birds are a little paler than their male counterparts.
6. House Finch:
House Finch birds are largely pervasive around entire United States. They are often commonly spotted near backyard feeders in the country. These birds are quite easy to recognize due to their brown and red plumage colour. They are known for their beautiful, simple tone, making noise around. Male birds have red heads and necks, whereas female birds have white and brown streaks. These birds often also build nests around buildings.
7. Pyrrhuloxia:
These distinct birds are beautiful and vibrant, with red coloring around the body shape and head crest. The Pyrrhuloxias are very closely related to Northern Cardinals, and you can find these birds around Mexico, Western Texas, Southern New Mexico, Southern Arizona, and the Baja Peninsula. The male and female birds also have a tinge of gray around their bodies and bright red colour near wings, tails, and crests. Male birds have red on their face in a stripe form throughout their body. Often in winter, you can notice these birds moving in flocks.
8. Summer Tanager:
Summer Tanagers are another popular type of red-colored birds. These birds are a little larger in size. The male Summer Tanagers have red wings completely with a bit of dusky black colour shade near the tips of the feather area. On the other hand, female Summer Tanagers are known to look entirely yellowish-green or yellow with dusky red. You can find these big red birds often around the eastern part of the United States and western California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
9. Scarlet Ibis:
If you are wondering about the name of this beautiful orangish red colour bird, they are Scarlet Ibis. They are unmistakable when it comes to appearance, with such bright, beautiful wings, neck, plumage, and looks. These birds are scarlet red in colour universally, except noticing little black near wing tips. Their beautiful bills are long curved downwards, and their legs are partially webbed feet. These species are found near Venezuela, Brazil, Columbia, Argentina, and surrounding regions.
10. Crimson Sunbird:
You may think of hummingbirds when you notice the pictures of Sunbirds. These birds are small in size and feed on insects and nectar, just like hummingbirds. However, Crimson Sunbirds are very tiny, hardly four inches long. They are often instantly noticeable due to the lovely blue markings and red plumage. Female birds often have no red color and are instead around olive-green color. These birds are found near forests in South East Asia and Indonesia.
11. Hepatic Tanager:
Another distinct bird variety you must know is Hepatic Tanagers. These birds are yellow when it comes to female species and red completely with little gray for male adults. The Hepatic Tanagers feed on insects and spiders. They can be found near Arizona, New Mexico, North American mountain ranges.
12. Scarlet Macaw:
Scarlet Macaw is a tropical bird which are often spotted around jungles, forests and woodlands. They are primarily present in Central and South American regions. These birds have distinct and gorgeous red plumage and are easily noticeable due to blue wings and yellow accents. Male and Female Scarlet Macaw’s have similar colours. They have unique bright red colour from underneath, which can be clearly noticeable as these birds fly. These birds are said to be declining in their numbers due to poaching.
13. Apapane:
Apapane is another beautiful red colored bird, which is found near the Islands of Hawaii. It is quite common around these regions. The birds have thin and slight downward-curving bill, which they use to drink nectar from flowers. The adult birds have a bright crimson-red colour with black on their wings.
14. Crimson Rosella:
Another rich red colored bird that we found beautiful and unique is Crimson Rosella. This bird is native to Southeastern Australia. It is a richly colored parrot and has brilliant red plumage with a striking tone of red color. This color gives a stunning look when all the similar species gather around and flock for feeding. Both males and female Crimson Rosella birds have similar colors, and male birds are larger.
15. Red Billed Firefinch:
Red Billed Firefinch bird is popular for its fiery plumage. It has matching red colour eyes and bills, bringing forth distinctive markings. Although it has a slightly dull color near the wings area, the bird also has a lovely yellow eye ring, with legs and feet remaining red. Female variants do not have red coloration and are more into olive yellow colour. They are often spotted around Sub-Saharan Africa.
16. Painted Redstart:
Painted Redstart birds have beautiful fine bills and long tails along with long wings. These birds are often found near New Mexico mountains and Arizona. They are a small songbird variety, and both male and female birds have bright red colour bellies along with black feathers. They have white colour outer tail feathers and white patches near the wings. Young birds have gray instead of scarlet red below. The red singing birdprefer to reside in forests and canyons with a water source.
17. Red Headed Woodpecker:
Most of you may not have heard of Red headed woodpecker, did you? These birds may not be entirely red, but as the name suggests, they have specific red markings that are quite distinct and noticeable. Their plumage is not red however, they have a red head and chest. The bird has black and white wings. They are found near the eastern and central parts of the United States along with Central Canada.
18. Cinnamon Teal:
Cinnamon Teals are a small-sized variety of ducks. They have long bill, large size heads however are still smaller relatively compared to their counterparts. The male Cinnamon Teal bird have bright red eyes and rust red colour plumage. They have dark, long bills and white underwings. The males and females are both largely covered with rust-brown overall. Cinnamon Teals are mostly around the Western United States, South America, Mexico, and Canada. They often nest near freshwater wetlands.
19. Painted Bunting:
These medium sized birds are another distinct and beautiful birds. It is safe to say that most think that Painted Buntings are among the most stunning and gorgeous creatures on the planet. These medium size birds have various colours on them, found near plumage. They have blue heads, red underparts that are distinct, greenbacks. Female birds have a yellow-green color. They are generally very radiant and colourful. These birds have thick, stubby bills and are predominantly seed eaters. Painted Bunting birds are primarily found around Coastal South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina Coastal regions, Missouri, New Mexico, Kansas, Cuba, and Central America.
20. Ringed Kingfisher:
We cannot miss out on talking about the unique and large Ringed Kingfisher. The Ringed Kingfishers are generally heavy-bodied. They have very thick bills, long wings and tails, and shaggy crests. These birds male counterparts have blue upperparts and white colors with white color on the wings and tail. Female Ringed Kingfishers red bird look similar but have a blue band near the chest region, white crescent, and red belly. The birds can be found near Central and Southern America. They reside around freshwater.
So, how did you enjoy learning about the stunning red colored birds? These different types and species of red birds are indeed beautiful and among the most eye-catching gorgeous birds on the planet. Do you agree? Let us know your thoughts.
