Bird guide · Cardinalis sinuatus
Pyrrhuloxia
What the pyrrhuloxia eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Not truly migratory; flocks wander in winter.
- Size
- 8.1 in (20.5 cm)
- Eats
- sunflower seeds
- Feeds
- ground, hopper
- Most common
- Arizona, New Mexico, Texas
Food
What do pyrrhuloxias eat?
At feeders, pyrrhuloxias take sunflower seeds.
Forages mostly while hopping on the ground, often in small flocks outside the nesting season.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do pyrrhuloxias live?
Dry country of the Southwest. By share of all bird sightings, pyrrhuloxias are most common in Arizona (0.5%).
States where pyrrhuloxias are most common
- Arizona0.5%
- New Mexico0.2%
- Texas0.1%
- Colorado0.00%
- Oklahoma0.00%
- California0.00%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are pyrrhuloxias, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the pyrrhuloxia migrate?
Not truly migratory; flocks wander in winter.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in February.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are pyrrhuloxias, by month.
Identification
How to identify the pyrrhuloxia
Male: Grey and red with a spiky crest and a thick, curved, stubby yellow bill.
Female: Buff with slight red tinges and a thin spiky crest.
Size: 8.1 in (20.5 cm)
Easily confused with
- Northern Cardinal (female) – pink, less curved bill
On camera
Getting the pyrrhuloxia on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
Pyrrhuloxia: questions
What do pyrrhuloxias eat?
At feeders, sunflower seeds.
Do pyrrhuloxias migrate?
Not truly migratory; flocks wander in winter.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in February.
Where do pyrrhuloxias live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma. They are rare or absent in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut.
What does a female pyrrhuloxia look like?
Buff with slight red tinges and a thin spiky crest.