24 species of birds with red head and brown body (with awesome photos)

In the world of birds. Especially the birds with redheads, mostly the males who are brightly colored. birds come in all colors and sizes and although mostly birds they have predominantly brown feathers.

These airborne creatures stand out in nature. these avian wonders with their unique coloring, often catch our attention as they flit, and chirp, their eye-catching appearance adding beauty to the sky and trees.

Some of the most beautiful birds are known as the red birds. They live in Europe, North America, Africa & Asia.

24 types of birds with redheads:

  • House finch
  • Purple finch
  • Cassin’s finch
  • Red crossbill
  • Common redpoll
  • Common rose finch
  • European goldfinch
  • Northern cardinal
  • Red-capped cardinal
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • Red-headed Woodpecker
  • Acorn woodpecker
  • Western tanager
  • Summer tanager
  • Scarlet tanager
  • Anna’s hummingbird
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird
  • Pine-Grosbeak 
  • Eastern Rosella
  • Red-faced Warbler
  • Gang-gang Cockatoo
  • Vermilion flycatcher
  • Pyrrhuloxia
  • Red-breasted sapsucker

house finch

scientific name: Haemorhous mexicanus

  • size:
    • medium-sized.
  • length:
    • 12.5 to 15 centimeters ( 5 to 6 inches long )
  • wingspan:
    • 20 to 24 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 15 to 26 grams on average.

The house finch is a charming bird with colorful feathers. it is known for its cheerful song and playful antics. house finch is a small bird with short wings.

Adult males can be identified by their bright red head and breast. in some cases, they are slightly more orange and yellow. Adult female finch has mostly brown coloring on its body.

House finches are common birds throughout North America. they can be found in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Hawaii. you can see them in parks, farms, backyard feeders, and forest edges.

These birds are mainly permanent residents throughout their range.it is not a migratory bird. they remain in their year-round for all seasons. they primarily eat seeds, fruits, grains, and berries.

purple finch

scientific name: Haemorhous purpureus

  • size:
    • Medium-sized
  • length:
    • 12 to 16 centimeters (4.5 to 6.2 length overall)
  • wingspan:
    • 20 to 25.4 centimeters
  • weight:
    • 18 to 30 grams average

The Purple finch is a small bird with beautifully raspberry pink-colored reddish feathers. the male finch sings sweet songs to attract the mate. these birds are a joy to watch and listen to.

Adult males are red on their backs, throats, breasts, rumps, and flanks. it has a sharp brown beak, a long tail, and brown wings. Adult females have light brown colored and white breasts and dark brown streaks throughout.

It likes to eat seeds, insects, and fruits, especially from bird feeders. they are fond of sunflower seeds.

These birds spend the breeding season in southern Canada between April and August and travel to the south U.S. for the winter. it can be found in the northern United States, southern Canada, and northern America.

Cassin’s finch

scientific name: Haemorhous cassinii

  • size:
    • Medium-sized
  • length:
    • 6.3 inches
  • wingspan:
    • 25 to 27 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 24 to 34 grams

Cassin’s finch males have a rosy red head, throat, breasts, rump reddish crown cap, and a streaked brownish nape. females and juveniles have whitish underparts streaked with brown.

Cassin’s finch is a small bird of the western interior mountains, as well as British Columbia and Mexico. they often hang out in the mountains and forests. mostly open forest areas with rich conifers.

They eat primarily seeds. they also visit many kinds of fruits and shrubs. you can attract them to your yard in winter by offering sunflower seeds. the Cassin’s finch craves salt and is often found visiting mineral deposits on the ground.

They make the soft sound of a melodious song, and during flights, they emit “tee-dee-yip” and “kee-up“. they are longer, warbles, and more complex than other finches.

Red crossbill

Scientific name: loxia curvirostra

  • size:
    • small to medium
  • length:
    • 15 to 20 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 25 to 27 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 35 to 52 grams on average.

The red crossbill is a large, plump distinctive finch. adult males are often brightly colored with orange or brick-red plumage. their wings are dark greyish brown. adult females are mostly olive-greenish, brown, and yellow. immatures are streakier than adults.

Their home range is in western North America, Eurasia, and southern Canada the Rocky Mountains. its movements link very closely to the availability of conifer seeds. red crossbills move in nomadic flocks as they search for their preferred conifer cons. When they find enough cone supply they stop. and breed any time from September to December.

The adult males have distinctively crossed black curved chunky beaks. adult females have crossed black hooked strong curved chunky beaks.

The red crossbill is the only dark-winged crossbill throughout most of its range. they breed in conifer forests. ( cones) is most abundant.

Common Redpoll

scientific name: Acanthis

  • size:
    • small to medium.
  • length:
    • 12 to 14 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 18 to 22 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 12 to 16 grams on average.

The common redpoll (acanthus flammea) is a species of bird in the finch family. these tiny birds are resistant to the cold winter. redpolls are tiny birds. it breeds future south, also habitat with thickets and shrubs.

They migrate south into Canada, the north U.S., or Eurasia. their winter movements are predominantly driven by the availability of food. they have a remarkable ability to live and survive in cold temperatures.

The common redpoll or mealy redpoll is a small brownish-grey finch with a brightly colored red cap-like patch on its forehead. it has a steaky brown upper and whitish below with black streaks. females are mostly similar to males. but darker and more streaked plumage and a crimson crown. their chin patch is more rounded then to the males.

They predominantly eat small seeds almost all the year, especially from birch, spruce, and alder trees. in summer they eat insects too. they have brownish-yellow short chunky beaks. two lines are visible on their folded wings.

The range of common redpoll extends across Europe, Asia, North America, Iceland, and Greenland. After breeding they move southward in late autumn. during winter they form flocks and visit feeders for food. they are often seen in cold places. their natural habitats are woodland, farmland, and Westlands.

Common Rose finch

Scientific name: Carpodacus erythrinus

  • size:
    • medium sized.
  • length:
    • 13 to 15 centimeters on average.
  • wingspan:
    • 22 to 26 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 21 to 27 grams.

The common rose finch or scarlet rose finch is the most common and widespread rose finch in Europe and Asia. they have a forked tail and dark grey stubby conical bill. males and females are roughly the same size birds. at the beginning of the breeding season, a male sings from regular perches to attract a female.

The mature male has an eye-catching, rosy carmine head, breast, and rump. they have a white-colored belly and dark-brown wings with two indistinct bars. Mature females are golden yellowish-brown above and brighter on the rump and head. immatures are often similar to females but a little brighter than them.

These species breed across northern Asia, central Europe, and parts of Eastern. they are migrants. in the winter season, they migrate to the south-east. you can see them alone but after breeding they form large flocks, also including other family groups.

The common rose finch abundantly feeds seeds, berries, fruits, nectar, shoots, and buds. they consume some larvae and insects during the breeding season in summer. after the breeding season, males begin singing in early spring and make the sweet sound of “uvee”duwee” and “ste-too-wee-teww” with high-pitched notes.

European Goldfinch

Scientific name: Carduelis carduelis

  • size:
    • small to medium.
  • length:
    • 12 to 14 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 21 to 25 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 14 to 19 grams on average.

The European goldfinch or simple goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) is a small and vibrant passerine bird in the finch family. It’s known for its extraordinary color combination that makes it look so beautiful to watch. they are prominent for their melodious songs.

They are endemic to Europe, western, central Asia, and North Africa. they have also been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. their population size is extremely large. their natural habitats are woodlands, orchards, parks, and gardens of Europe.

Males and females of goldfinch appear quite similar. these brightly colored fiches with fine pointed bills and notched tails. adults are predominantly grey-brown and have distinctive red faces with black markings around the eyes. and very eye-catching yellow panels across black wings with white on pumps and tertials.

The European goldfinch’s pointed beak has been designed to help them for probing into thistle blossom. their appearance adds a splash of colors and cheerful tunes to meadows and gardens. their call is sweet tickleLit and a pleasant combination of “teLLit-teLLit-teLLit” on the high-patched note.

Northern cardinal

Scientific name: Cardinalis cardinalis

  • size:
    • mid-sized
  • length:
    • 21 to 33 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 25 to 31 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 33 to 65 grams.

The northern cardinal is the most recognizable beautiful bird found in North America. northern cardinals are now common throughout the state of Hawaii, Bermuda, and southern California.

Male cardinals have brilliant bright red feathers throughout and a distinctive crest on their heads with a black mask on their faces. females are light brownish with reddish olive. females have grey masks around their faces. immatures also similar to females.

Northern cardinals are now common throughout the state of Hawaii, southern California, Bermuda, and south through Mexico. they are mainly found in woodlands, gardens, and thickets.

Cardinals are year-round residents. they build their nests near trees and shrubs, where they lay their eggs. these are not migratory birds. they often visit bird feeders, enjoying seeds and fruits. you can attract them to your backyard feeders with sunflower seeds, millet, milo, and peanut hearts.

They are known for their melodious song that makes the sound of “cheer-cheer-cheer”, “whit-chew” and “purty-purty-purty“. They are not only pretty but very good singers too.

Red Capped Cardinal

Scientific name: Paroaria gularis

  • size:
    • small medium-sized.
  • length:
    • 18 to 20 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 20 to 22 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 30 to 35 grams.

The red-capped cardinal is a small-medium-sized beautiful and striking bird species native to South America. they have also been introduced to many other areas worldwide, including Hawaii.

Red-crested cardinals are fascinating birds that can be found in various parts of the world. it is an energetic and active species, known for its playful behavior and aerobatics flights, in its natural habitat.

Red-capped cardinals were named for their crimson-colored head and chin. they have blackish lower and shiny black upper parts and black throats. it has a white collar extending up the neck sides from the white underparts. upper mandible is black, white the lower is pale flesh-colored. adult male and adult female cardinals are similar in appearance. females have a bright red crest, breasts, deep blue wings, and tails.

They have a mostly black conical beak that allows them to feed on insects and seeds. they enjoy a diet of fruits, insects, seeds, and rice. they are also known for being skilled nest builders.

It is a vocal bird, with a variety of different songs and calls that it uses to communicate with other members of its flocks. its variable song frequently repeated “suweett-chu” notes on high patch.

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Scientific name: Melanerpes carolinus

  • size:
    • medium-sized.
  • length:
    • 22 to 26 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 38 to 46 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 56 to 90 grams.

Red-bellied woodpeckers are medium-sized vibrant and captivated birds commonly found in North America. creating a bold contrast makes them recognizable. Red-bellied woodpecker adds a burst of color and lively energy to the forest, making it a favorite sight of nature.

Adult males have a red cap extending from bill to nape. they have black and white barred patterns on their back. their brightly vivid orange-red cap from their forehead to the base of their neck. Adult females have red nape patches, hairy crowns, and red spots above the bill. juveniles are similar in appearance to adults. but they have a horn-colored bill and back any red color on their head.

Red-bellied woodpeckers are year-round resident. it breeds mainly in the eastern United States. they are visitors to forests, parks, woodlands, suburban areas, and backyard bird feeders. and they use their strong bills to chip away at the bark to expose hiding insects.

Red-bellied woodpecker eats beetle ants and other insects. they also eat acorns and beechnuts and fruits. they are noisy birds. have many loud and varied calls. their calls sound like “churr-churr-churr“, “Chif-Chif” and “br,r,r, rt“.

 Red-headed Woodpecker

Scientific name: Melanerpes erythrocephalus

  • size:
    • small-medium.
  • length:
    • 21 to 25 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 33 to 37 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 56 to 97 grams.

Red-headed woodpeckers are the most rarest and elegant-looking woodpeckers in Minnesota. these birds are known for their striking color. The Red-headed woodpecker is very beautiful but difficult to approach. sadly, their numbers are declining due to habitat loss. it is a common migrant, summer resident, and winter resident statewide. it can be found throughout the central and eastern United States and southern Canada.

Red-headed woodpeckers can be found in a variety of treed habitats, including delicious woodlands, forest edges, open woodlots, orchards, parks, grasslands, and wetlands. during the breeding season dead limbs, snags, or standing dead woods are required for nesting. and also preferred an open canopy.

They placed their nests in a hole in a dead tree. both males and females excavate the nest. they usually use waterways to migrate. these birds can be observed stuffing nuts and other edible items in tree cavities or under bark.

Both sexes are identical. with a bright red hood over the head, neck, and throat. it has a white rump, large white wing patch, glossy blue-black upperparts, white underparts, and a completely red head. other woodpeckers have some red feathers on their heads, but it is only that is all red. but the white on the wings makes them especially noticeable during flights.

The immature red-headed has brown head feathers and is generally brown, whereas the adults are black.

Red-headed woodpeckers catch insects during flights. feeding on the ground and drilling into trees to find insects to eat. they love to peck at trees. in summer they eat mainly insects, while in winter they eat acorns and corn. this species gives a call of “quer-quer” or “tchur-tchur“.

Acorn Woodpecker

Scientific name: Melanerpes formicivorus

  • size:
    • medium-sized.
  • length:
    • 19 to 25 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 35 to 43 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 65 to 90 grams.

The acorn woodpecker is a fascinating bird that lives in North and Central America. their love for acorns makes them special. these interesting birds play a vital role in spreading oak trees and helping forests thrive.

Acorn woodpeckers have black, red, and white feathers. because of their exceptionally pale eyes, these woodpeckers are frequently nicknamed “clown-faced”. they have white eyes surrounded by a black mask, wings are black with a rounded white wing patch. both male and female woodpeckers look often similar. their striking black and white plumage makes them easy to spot.

The eye-catching acorn woodpeckers are social birds, often living in large groups. they don’t migrate and live year-round in forest areas with oaks. a perfect description of this bird’s unusual habit of storing away large quantities of acorns in granaries or storage trees. usually dead snags, bead branches, storage holes, wooden buildings, and dead limbs.

Acorn woodpeckers collect and store thousands of acorns each year by jamming them into specially-made tree holes. they stored in a single tree called a “granary tree” making holes by drilling into it. a single granary tree may have more than 50,000 holes in it.

Western Tanager

Scientific name: Piranga ludoviciana

  • size:
    • small medium.
  • length:
    • 16 to 19 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 28 to 30 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 22 to 36 grams.

The western tanager is a medium-sized vibrant and captivating songbird, native to North America. Known for its stunning appearance, brings a burst of colors to our forests. it is found in western North America, from British Columbia to California.

The male western tanager contains a brilliant bright yellow body with striking red markings on its head and throat. making it a living creation of art in the bird world. in contrast, the females support more conservative colors, with an olive-green body.

Western tanagers are known for their beautiful singing. their melodious sounds fill the air as they forage insects and fruits. They are insectivores, and they eat a variety of insects. interestingly, their diet includes wasps, bees, ants, beetles, grasshoppers, flies, and caterpillars.

They are migratory birds, and they spend summers in coniferous forests and mountainous lands. and they spend winter in Mexico and Central America.

Summer Tanager

Scientific name: Piranga rubra

  • size:
    • small-medium.
  • length:
    • 17 to 20 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 28 to 30 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 29 to 35 grams.

The Summer tanagers are beautiful and charming birds, boasting a bust of colors in the summer sky. their bright color lightening up our gardens and woodlands. these delightful birds bring an extra touch of colors and beauty to our summertime landscape.

Adult males are brilliant red all over. they are often called “living flames”. but adult females look totally different from males. females are dull-colored with yellow-orange bellies and olive-green backs. both males and females have long, forked tails.

Summer tanagers are skilled insect hunters. they are also called insectivores, meaning their diet consists mainly of insects. their diet also includes some wasps, bees, berries, and fruits. they often perch high in a tree and fly to catch insects in mid-air.

Their natural habitats are predominantly open woodland, and forests throughout the eastern and southern United States, as well as Central and South America. in the avian world, summer tanagers are unique and cherish the symbol of summer’s arrival.

Summer tanagers are beautiful fiery and fascinating birds among birdwatchers for their bright plumage and unique songs. they play a vital role in helping to control insect populations.

Scarlet Tanager

Scientific name: Piranga olivacea

  • size:
    • medium-sized.
  • length:
    • 16 to 18 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 25 to 29 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 23 to 38 grams.

The scarlet tanager is a medium-sized dazzling and beautiful songbird that is found in eastern North America. they are also known for their vibrant red plumage.

Adult male scarlet tanagers are brilliant bright red all over, with jet-black wings and tails. Adult female scarlet tanagers have olive-green upperparts and yellow underparts with darker wings and tails.

They are insectivores, meaning their primary food depends on insects. they do feed on other insects like beetles, wasps, bees, and butterflies. they are even known to feed on fruits, berries, and buds.

These birds inhabit large stretches of delicious forest, chiefly mature woodlands, especially oak and pine forest. prefer dense canopies.

The scarlet tanager is a living masterpiece. males turn brighter red during summer to attract females. these scarlet tanagers are not only beautiful but also important for the ecosystem as they help to control insect populations.

Scarlet tanagers are migratory birds, they fly south for the winter. it’s a true symbol of summer. its vibrant plumage makes it a living flame.

Anna’s Hummingbird

Scientific name: Calypte anna

  • size:
    • small-medium.
  • length:
    • 9.9 to 10.9 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 11 to 12.5 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 2.8 to 5.7 grams.

Anna’s hummingbird is an attractive wonder and the colorful grace of the world. this dazzling little creature, with its unique charm, native to western North America. It’s a bird like no other. Its vibrant emerald and magenta plumage glistens in the sunlight, making it a living gem in our gardens.

Adult Anna’s hummingbird’s shimmering plumage immediately catches the eye. with shades of brilliant emerald, and fiery magenta, its throat shimmers in the sunlight. The male’s flashy magenta gorget extends over its crown. almost as precious gemstones. in contrast, females have few streams of red on their throats. females also have a tiny red gorget.

These birds have remarkably incredible metabolism, beating their wings up to 80 times per second. this allows them to travel long distances and quickly visitors to many flowers in search of nectar.

Anna’s hummingbirds are known for their amazing flying skills. they can flicker in mid-air, fly backward, and even fly upside down. they are nectarivorous, meaning that they hover around flowers to feed on nectar or sugar water from feeders. they also eat small insects like midges or whiteflies.

These eye-catching hummingbirds are tough survivors. they don’t migrate, they stay in the same area year-round. They are nature’s tiny pollinators, transferring pollen from bloom to bloom as they feed. hummingbirds play an important role in the ecosystem by pollinating plants.

One of the most incredible facts about Anna’s hummingbird is that its heart rate beats up to 1,000 times per minute. they can be found in gardens, parks, and even suburban areas, bringing a touch of wild beauty to our daily lives.

Ruby-throated hummingbird

Scientific name: Archilochus colubris

  • size:
    • small-medium.
  • length:
    • 7 to 9 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 8 to 11 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 2 to 6 grams.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are incredibly tiny wonders of nature and dazzling creatures that bring joy to our gardens. they are the only hummingbird species that breed in eastern North America.

They are brilliantly colorful birds with iridescent greenbacks, with grayish-white belly, and their vibrant ruby-red throat feathers makes them truly special. which shines like a precious gem when it catches the sunlight.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are amazing flyers, they migrate long distances. they amazingly can beat their wings up to 70 to 80 times per second, which allows them to hover in mid-air and even help fly backward.

These hummingbirds fly up to 2,000 miles to Central America for the winter. their wings beat so rapidly that they create a gentle sound of humming sound, earning them their name.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are one of the most glistening, colorful visitors to backyards. the only hummingbird that breeds east of the Mississippi River. during the breeding season, these hummingbirds live in deciduous and pine forests. They spend their summer in forest edges, orchards, and gardens. while during the winter, these species tropically live in deciduous forests, along rivers and marshes, forest edges and they prefer where there are a lot of flowers, such as parks, backyards, and open clearing forests.

The ruby-throated hummingbirds are nectarivorous, their diet is quite simple. their long slender beaks and tongues allow them to reach deep into flowers and drink nectar, like sugary water. this nectar provides them with energy. their diet includes some small insects, like gnats, spiders, aphids, and tiny bugs for protein.

Pine Grosbeak

Scientifinc name: Pinicola enucleator

  • size:
    • Medium-sized.
  • Length:
    • 20 to 25 centimeters.
  • wingspan:
    • 30 to 33 centimeters.
  • weight:
    • 52 to 78 centimeters.

The pine grosbeak, a delightful bird with unique rosy hues, graces the Northern parts of North America, Eurasia, Europe, and Asia. with its plump body and its vibrant appearance, sporting a brilliant striking combination of rosy red and gray plumage. these birds are a true delight to behold.

Adult male pine grosbeak is nicely bright rosy-red on heads, sides, breasts, rump, and back. they look beautiful especially in wintertime when the bright red coloring of the male is nicely appeared by the white snow.

The male has dark streaking on the back, dark wings with two wing bars, a short thick bill, and a dusky notched tail. while females have gray bodies and their heads and necks are a dull orange or rust color. juveniles are similar to females.

Pine grosbeaks feed predominantly on buds, seeds, fruits, and berries. they mainly forage in trees and shrubs. in the summer they do catch insects and spiders to eat and to feed their nestings. they usually move slowly.

They breed in coniferous forests. their natural habitats are open coniferous forests and forest edges of open fields, meadows, and marshes. in fact, sunflower seeds are a surefire way to attract them to your backyard feeder.

Eastern Rosella

Scientific Name: Platycercus eximius

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