Did you see a PINK bird in Louisiana?

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#1. House Finch

• Haemorhous mexicanus

Identifying Characteristics:

• Males are pinkish around their heads and upper breasts. They have brown streaks on their back, tail, and belly.
• Females are brown with streaks on their back, tail, and belly.
• Both sexes have notched tails and conical beaks designed to eat seeds.

It’s common to see these pink birds in Louisiana near people.

Look for them around buildings, backyards, parks, and other urban and suburban areas. As you can see, only males have pinkish-red coloring.

House Finch Range Map

House Finches are often the first birds to discover new bird feeders. These birds are intensely curious and rarely travel alone, so their arrival often helps other birds find your feeders, too! I see them eating sunflower, Nyjer, and safflower seeds in my yard.

• RELATED: Bird Seed 101: The 10 Best Types For Wild Birds!

House Finches have an enjoyable song, which can be heard year-round. Listen below to a series of jumbled, warbled notes.

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#2. Purple Finch

• Haemorhous purpureus

Identifying Characteristics:

• Small, with a conical seed-eating bill.
• Males have a raspberry red or pink head, breast, and back.
• Females have prominent streaks of white and brown below, with strong facial markings, including a whitish eyebrow and a dark line down the side of the throat.

Male Purple Finches are described as looking like they were dipped in raspberry juice.

Look for these beautiful pink birds visiting feeders in Louisiana, especially during winter. Your best chance to attract them is using black-oil sunflower seeds. Having conifer trees in your yard is also a great way to encourage them to visit.

Purple Finch Range Map

Purple Finches can be challenging to identify because they look incredibly similar to the more common House Finch. I’ve made this mistake many times, believing that I saw a Purple Finch when it was, in fact, just another House Finch. To tell them apart, look at their back. The Purple Finch’s back has pink or red coloring, while the back of a House Finch has none.

Males sing a rich, musical warble. Listen below!

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#3. Mourning Dove

• Zenaida macroura

Identifying Characteristics:

• A mostly grayish dove with large black spots on the wings and a long, thin tail.
• Look for pinkish legs, a black bill, and a distinctive blue eye ring.
• Males and females look the same.

This species is one of the most common birds in Louisiana.

But at first glance, it’s hard to see any pink coloring on them. But look closer, and you will notice that Mourning Doves have PINK legs! 🙂

Mourning Dove Range Map

Mourning Doves are common visitors to bird feeding stations. They need a flat place to feed, so the best feeders for them are trays or platforms. They are most comfortable feeding on the ground, so throw a bunch of food there, too.

• RELATED: The 15 Best Bird Feeders In MY Backyard! (UPDATED)

It’s common to hear these pink-legged birds in Louisiana.

Listen for a low “coo-ah, coo, coo, coo.” In fact, this mournful sound is how the dove got its name! Many people commonly mistake this sound for an owl. (Press PLAY below!)

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#4. Common Ground Dove

• Columbina passerina

Identifying Characteristics:

• These doves are small, being only slightly larger than a sparrow!
• They have a plain grey-brown back. The underparts have a pinkish tint to them.
• Small heads with a scaled pattern on their breast and neck. Dark spots on the wings.

These pinkish birds are typically easy to find in Louisiana. Look for them feeding on the ground beneath bird feeders, cleaning up the grains and other seeds that fall from above.

Common Ground Doves primarily nest on the ground! Simple nests are built lined with a few types of grass, weeds, and other plant matter. Being on the ground, they can make an easy meal for many different predators. Their primary defense is to blend into their surroundings or hide in thick vegetation.

Common Ground Dove Range Map

Common Ground Doves are relatively vocal. They can be heard at all times of the day and at any time of the year. Listen for a repeated, soft, high-pitched coo with a rising inflection.

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#5. Roseate Spoonbill

• Platalea ajaja

Identifying Characteristics:

• Large and pink with bright pink on their shoulders and tail and a yellowish-green head
• Eyes are red, and their bill is long and wide with a spoonlike shape.
• Often confused with a flamingo.

Look for this large PINK bird in Louisiana in shallow freshwater marshes, bays, wetlands, and forested swamps. As Roseate Spoonbills wade in shallow water, they swing their bills back and forth, searching for food. Their pink coloring comes from crustaceans that eat red algae.

These pink birds primarily eat shrimp, aquatic insects, prawns, and fish. They sway their bill in the water to find their prey and then clamp their bill shut to swallow it whole.

An interesting fact about the Roseate Spoonbill is as it gets older, it loses the feathers on top of its head. I guess they have a lot in common with many men! 🙂

Surprisingly, the Roseate Spoonbill is a silent bird. Occasionally, they’ll make grunting noises when startled or greeting a mate.

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#6. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

• Tyrannus forficatus

At first glance, you may wonder how the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher qualifies as a pink bird in Louisiana.

Well, take a closer look at their sides, especially while in flight. According to most bird identification books, the official coloring on their flanks and belly is “salmon-pink.”

Regardless of whether you agree, there is no denying that Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are stunning to see. They are easy to identify because of their long, forked tails.

Look for them perching on fence posts and wires in Louisiana as they wait for insects to fly past. When one is spotted, they fly after them, using their impressive tails to make midair twists and turns.

Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are also commonly heard. Listen for a song that is a series of sharp notes that initially rises in pitch and then speeds up towards the end.

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#7. American Flamingo

• Phoenicopterus ruber

Also known as the Caribbean Flamingo.

Identifying Characteristics:

• Reddish-pink plumage.
• They are 47-57 in (119-145 cm) tall.
• The bill is white and pink with a large black tip.

These large pink birds are unmistakable in Louisiana!

While mostly found in the Caribbean, they often turn up in the southeastern United States along the coasts.

The best places to find American Flamingos are in shallow, saline lagoons. Like all flamingos, they have a specialized beak, which is hooked downward, perfect for finding and filtering food in these habitats.

Interestingly, their lower beak is much larger than the top one, and they turn their head upside down to eat! Some common food items include small crustaceans, mollusks, some worms, nematodes, insects and their larvae, small fish, etc.

Despite their beauty, American Flamingos sound just like geese! Listen below:

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Learn more about other birds in Louisiana!

• The 34 MOST Common Birds in Louisiana!

• Birds that are Orange in Louisiana (8 Species)           

• Grey Birds in Louisiana! (10 Species)

• 9 Purple Birds found in Louisiana

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Which of these pink birds have you seen in Louisiana?

Let us know in the comments!