10 Types of Red Birds Found In Colorado! (ID GUIDE)
Did you see a RED bird in Colorado?
If so, I’m sure you’re wondering what type of bird it was! Luckily, you can use the guide below to help you figure it out!
There are 10 birds in Colorado that are considered “red.”
For the purpose of this article, I included primarily red and partially red birds.
Fortunately, many species of RED birds visit bird feeders, so you have a chance of attracting them to your yard. If you’re incredibly fortunate, you may even see one at my bird feeding station right now!
I have a LIVE high-definition camera watching my bird feeders 24/7. 🙂
#1. House Finch
- Haemorhous mexicanus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Males are rosy red 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 red birds in Colorado near people.
Look for them around buildings, backyards, parks, and other urban and suburban areas. As you can see, only males are red.
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 seed, Nyjer seed, and safflower in my yard.
House Finches have an enjoyable song, which can be heard year-round. Listen below to a series of jumbled, warbled notes.
#2. American Robin
- Turdus migratorius
Identifying Characteristics:
- A beautiful thrush that features a rusty red breast and a dark head and back.
- Look for a white throat and white splotches around the eyes.
- Both sexes are similar, except that females appear paler.
American Robins are one of the most familiar red birds in Colorado!
Although I think their breast looks orange, many others consider it rusty red.
They inhabit a wide variety of habitats and naturally are found everywhere, from forests to the tundra. But these thrushes are comfortable around people and are common to see in backyards.
American Robin Range Map
Even though they’re abundant, American Robins rarely visit bird feeders because they don’t eat seeds. Instead, their diet consists of invertebrates (worms, insects, snails) and fruit. For example, I see robins frequently in my backyard, pulling up earthworms in the grass!
These red birds also commonly nest near people. Look for an open, cup-shaped nest with 3-5 beautiful, distinctive sky blue eggs.
American Robins sing a string of clear whistles, a familiar sound in spring. Many people describe its song as sounding like the bird is saying, “cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up.” Listen below.
#3. Common Redpoll
- Acanthis flammea
Identifying Characteristics:
- Both sexes are small, white, and brown. Look for streaks on their sides and a small red patch on their forehead.
- Males have a pale red vest on the chest and upper flanks.
These red birds visit backyard bird feeders in Colorado, especially during the winter. Due to their small bill size, they prefer eating tiny seeds like Nyjer (thistle) and shelled sunflower when visiting.
Common Redpoll Range Map
These red birds travel great distances and can turn up almost anywhere!
For example, one bird banded in Michigan showed up in Siberia. Another one in Belgium was found again in China!
#4. Pine Grosbeak
- Pinicola enucleator
Identifying Characteristics:
- Large, plump finches. Look for dark gray wings with two white lines across the middle.
- Males are reddish-pink and gray.
- Females and young males are grayish with reddish-orange or yellow tints on the head and rump.
These red birds are one of the largest finches in Colorado!
If one lands on your feeder, they’re typically easy to identify since they’re bigger than most other birds.
Pine Grosbeaks frequently visit feeders, especially during the winter. If you want to attract them, try using a hopper or platform feeder because of the bird’s larger size. Fill the feeders with sunflower seeds.
Pine Grossbeak Range Map
Male Pine Grosbeaks sing a high-pitched warble that goes up and down. Listen below! Females don’t sing very often.
#5. Red Crossbill
- Loxia curvirostra
Identifying Characteristics:
- Sparrow-sized. Look for their distinctive crisscrossed bills (which means the upper and lower tips of their beak don’t align; they cross, like crossing your fingers)
- Males are red overall with darker brownish-red wings and white wing bars.
- Females are full-bodied and yellowish with dark unmarked wings.
As their name suggests, Red Crossbills have crisscrossed bills, similar to if you cross your fingers. They adapted these oddly shaped bills to help them break into tightly closed cones, giving them an advantage over other red bird species in Colorado.
They’re found in large coniferous forests during their breeding season, mainly spruce, pine, Douglas-fir, hemlock, or larch with recent cone crops. But in winter, they wander wherever they need to go to find food. While not incredibly common, these red birds will sometimes visit bird feeders in Coloradoand eat sunflower seeds.
Red Crossbill Range Map
Red Crossbills are highly dependent on conifer seeds. They even feed them to their babies instead of insects like most other songbirds. These finches typically breed in late summer but can breed any time during the year if a large enough cone crop is available.
Males sing a variably sweet warble, which sounds like “chipa-chipa-chipa, chee-chee-chee.”Females rarely sing, but call notes are sharp and metallic.
#6. Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Melanerpes carolinus
This woodpecker’s name can be confusing since their bellies don’t contain much red coloring other than a dark red wash.
Most of the red on the Red-bellied Woodpecker is on their head. In fact, the red coloring is the only way to tell males and females apart! This is because males have a bright red plumage that extends from their beaks to their necks, while females only have red on the back of their necks.
Red-bellied Woodpecker Range Map
These slightly red birds are a common sight at feeders in Colorado!
I see Red-bellied Woodpeckers almost daily in my backyard. They love eating peanuts, sunflower seeds, and suet (especially popular during the winter months).
Press PLAY below to hear a Red-bellied Woodpecker! Another great way to find this woodpecker is to learn its calls! It’s quite common to hear them in forests and wooded suburbs and parks. Listen for a rolling “churr-churr-churr.”
#7. Red-headed Woodpecker
- Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Red-headed Woodpeckers are characterized by a large red head and a larger bill than most other species. Their back is entirely black, except for white wing patches, which contrasts against the pure white belly. Because of their bold patterning, these birds are sometimes called the “flying checkerboard.” 🙂
Red-headed Woodpecker Range Map
Unfortunately, populations of Red-headed Woodpeckers have declined in Colorado by over 70% in the past 50 years! The main culprit is habitat loss due to the destruction of giant beech forests, which produce beechnuts, one of their favorite foods.
If you happen to find yourself in the correct habitat of these birds, be sure to listen for them! Their most common call is a shrill “tchur,” which sounds similar to a Red-bellied Woodpecker, except it’s a bit more higher-pitched and doesn’t roll as much.
#8. Red-naped Sapsucker
- Sphyrapicus nuchalis
These woodpeckers have black bodies, a white vertical stripe down the wing, and a red crown. Male birds have a red throat and red nape (back of the neck). Females also have a red throat, but there’s also a small white patch just under the bill, and their nape can be white or red.
Red-naped Sapsucker Range Map
Red-naped Sapsuckers are commonly found near aspen, birch, and willow trees. Look for their presence by examining these trees for tiny drilled holes.
To slurp up sap, these migratory woodpeckers have a specialized tongue. Believe it or not, they have stiff hairs on the ends, which helps drink the sap more effectively. The sap wells they create are vital to them, and they spend much of their time defending them from other birds.
The most common sound you’ll hear is a harsh, repeated “waah.” Some people think they sound like a small child crying.
#9. White-winged Crossbill
- Loxia leucoptera
Identifying Characteristics:
- Crisscrossed bill–is used to separate pine cone scales to access the seeds.
- Males are rose-pink with black wings and tails. Look for two white lines of contrasting color across the middle of the wing.
- Females and young males are yellowish but with the same wing and tail pattern as the adult males.
White-winged Crossbills get their name from the shape of their bill! These finches evolved these unique beaks to open up pine cones so that they could eat the seeds inside.
Individual White-winged Crossbills can eat up to 3,000 conifer seeds each day. Some people can locate crossbills by hearing them crunching while opening cones in the trees.
White-winged Crossbill Range Map
You can sometimes attract these red birds to your backyard feeders in Colorado by offering hulled sunflower seeds.
Both sexes sing a mixture of vigorous and scattered chirps, warbles, and rattles. Listen below!
#10. Hepatic Tanager
- Piranga flava
Identifying Characteristics:
- Males are medium-size, red overall with gray-streaked on their back and wings. Their bill is long and silver.
- Females are a greenish tint of yellow with gray cheeks. They have dark gray bills and legs.
Typically, you’ll find these red birds in Colorado in pinewood or mixed forests. A forest canopy thick with vegetation is a perfect place for nesting.
Hepatic Tanager Range Map
Hepatic Tanagers enjoy hopping through trees and shrubs, searching for food such as insects. They’ll usually feed in pairs or groups.
This bird’s songs are a series of rich, slurred, whistled notes with short pauses. Listen below.
Do you need additional help identifying a red bird you have seen?
If so, this field guide should be able to help you.
Which of these red birds have you seen before in Colorado?
Leave a comment below!
The range maps above were generously shared with permission from The Birds Of The World, published by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I use their site OFTEN to learn new information about birds!
