Canada is home to a variety of red bird species, and a total of 13 of these species have been observed. Among them, 9 species are regularly spotted based on state checklists, while the remaining 4 species are considered rare or accidental.
If you want to identify the different red bird species in Canada, this guide, sourced from avibase, will be of great assistance. It’s worth noting that some of these birds migrate, while others remain in Canada throughout the year.
The most prevalent red bird species in Canada during both summer and winter is the Northern Cardinal. During the summer, Summer Tanagers breed in Canada before heading south, whereas Common Redpolls are commonly sighted in winter after spending their summers breeding in the far north and Alaska.
Here is a list of the 13 red bird species in Canada:
1. Northern Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal is a highly common red bird in Canada all year round. These birds are characterized by their vibrant red heads, bodies, and tails, complemented by black accents on their faces. They make for a stunning sight, especially against the backdrop of a snowy winter. Even the females exhibit their own elegance with brown coloring, sharp brown crests, red highlights, and red beaks.
Length: 8.3-9.1 in (21-23 cm)
Weight: 1.5-1.7 oz (42-48 g)
Wingspan: 9.8-12.2 in (25-31 cm)
Northern Cardinals are predominantly found in the eastern and southern states. During the breeding season, they can become quite territorial and may even attack their own reflection.
To attract more Northern Cardinals to your backyard, you can use sunflower seeds, peanut hearts, millet, or milo in large tube feeders, hoppers, platform feeders, or scatter the food on the ground.
2. House Finch
House Finches are another red bird species commonly observed in Canada throughout the year. Males of this species possess red heads and breasts, while females showcase brown-streaked coloring.
Length: 5.1-5.5 in (13-14 cm)
Weight: 0.6-0.9 oz (16-27 g)
Wingspan: 7.9-9.8 in (20-25 cm)
Originally limited to western states, House Finches have managed to expand their presence into the eastern states, even outcompeting the Purple Finch. These finches can be found in various locations such as parks, farms, forest edges, and backyard feeders. They often congregate in noisy groups, making them hard to miss.
To attract House Finches to your backyard feeders, you can use black oil sunflower seeds or nyjer seeds in tube feeders or platform feeders.
3. Purple Finch
Purple Finches are highly abundant in Canada and can be spotted all year round, particularly during the summer. These birds resemble House Finches with their reddish-purple heads and breasts, but they possess more brown tones on their backs and wings.
Length: 4.7-6.3 in (12-16 cm)
Weight: 0.6-1.1 oz (18-32 g)
Wingspan: 8.7-10.2 in (22-26 cm)
While they breed in Canada and spend their winters in eastern states, Purple Finches can be found throughout the year in the northeast and along the Pacific coast.
In their natural habitat, you can spot them in evergreen forests where they feed on seeds, buds, nectar, and berries. Purple Finches are known to readily visit feeders that offer black oil sunflower seeds.
4. Common Redpoll
Common Redpolls are permanent residents of Canada, although they are more commonly seen during the winter season. These birds display red foreheads, pinky breasts, and a combination of brown and white on the rest of their bodies.
Acanthis flammea
Length: 4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm)
Weight: 0.4-0.7 oz (11-20 g)
Wingspan: 7.5-8.7 in (19-22 cm)
During winter, they can be found in northern states and occasionally in central states. To stay warm, Common Redpolls sometimes burrow into the snow at night. They have a remarkable ability to consume up to 42% of their body mass each day and can store up to 2 grams of seeds in their expandable esophagus.
In their natural habitat, Common Redpolls can be seen in weedy fields or feeding on catkins in trees. They are also attracted to feeders offering small seeds like nyjer seeds or thistle.
5. Pine Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeaks are present in Canada all year, but they are more frequently observed during the winter months, specifically from November to March. As a finch species, the males showcase red plumage with gray wings and tail, accompanied by two white wingbars. Females, on the other hand, exhibit a gray appearance with dull orange heads and rumps. Compared to other finches, they are relatively large and slow.
Pinicola enucleator
Length: 7.9-9.8 in (20-25 cm)
Wingspan: 13.0 in (33 cm)
While predominantly found in Canada, some Pine Grosbeaks can be seen along the US border, the mountainous west, and California’s Sierra Nevada region. These birds reside in forests comprising pine, spruce, and fir trees, where they feed on seeds, fruits, and buds. They may also consume insects during the summer season.
To attract Pine Grosbeaks to your backyard, consider using black oil sunflower seed feeders or suet feeders.
6. White-winged Crossbill
The White-winged Crossbill is another captivating red bird species that can be spotted in Canada throughout the year. These finches possess distinctive crossed beaks. Males exhibit red plumage with black wings and tails, along with two white wingbars. Females, on the other hand, display yellow and brown tones with two white wingbars.
Loxia leucoptera
Length: 5.9-6.7 in (15-17 cm)
Weight: 0.8-0.9 oz (24-26 g)
Wingspan: 10.2-11.0 in (26-28 cm)
White-winged Crossbills are primarily found in Canadian forests, Alaska, and occasionally in northern US states when cone crops are scarce further north. They can be spotted in spruce forests, where they feed on seeds. Interestingly, these birds exhibit flexible breeding times as long as food availability remains sufficient.
White-winged Crossbills are often heard in large flocks.
7. Red Crossbill
Red Crossbills can be observed in Canada throughout the year. Males of this species are red birds with darker wings and tails, while females possess yellow and brown plumage.
These birds can be found in northern and western states year-round, with their winter season spent in eastern states. They predominantly feed on conifer seeds and forage in flocks, moving from tree to tree. Their powerful beaks enable them to break unopened cones. Additionally, they are known to consume grit along roadsides during mornings.
8. Scarlet Tanager
Scarlet Tanagers are summer birds in Canada, breeding during the summer season and arriving in April. Most of them depart by October, although a few stragglers have been sighted as late as December. Male Scarlet Tanagers are characterized by their bright red plumage with black wings and tails. Females, on the other hand, exhibit a yellow appearance with darker wings and tails.
Piranga olivacea
Length: 6.3-6.7 in (16-17 cm)
Weight: 0.8-1.3 oz (23-38 g)
Wingspan: 9.8-11.4 in (25-29 cm)
These tanagers breed in eastern forests during the summer before migrating to South America. Due to their preference for high forest canopies, spotting Scarlet Tanagers can be challenging.
To attract more Scarlet Tanagers, consider planting berry plants such as blackberries, raspberries, huckleberries, juneberries, serviceberries, mulberries, strawberries, and chokeberries.
9. Cassin’s Finch
Cassin’s Finches are year-round residents of Canada, although they are more commonly seen during the summer months, spanning from mid-April to August. These finches have red crowns, rosy pink heads, red breasts, whiteish bellies, and brown backs and wings.
Length: 6.3 in (16 cm)
Weight: 0.8-1.2 oz (24-34 g)
Wingspan: 9.8-10.6 in (25-27 cm)
They are primarily found in mountain forests within western states, where they forage for seeds in flocks. While not as prevalent in backyards as House or Purple Finches, Cassin’s Finches can be attracted with sunflower seed feeders, particularly in winter, or through the presence of fruiting shrubs like cotoneaster, mulberries, firethorn, grapes, and apples.
10. Summer Tanager
Summer Tanagers are considered rare or accidental in Canada, although they have been sighted in the southern regions of the country. Male Summer Tanagers are vibrant red birds, while females exhibit a yellow coloration.
Piranga rubra
Length: 6.7 in (17 cm)
Weight: 1.1 oz (30 g)
These birds breed in southern and eastern states before migrating to Central and South America for the winter season. Summer Tanagers are primarily forest-dwelling songbirds that can be found in open woodlands. Their diet consists of mid-flight bees and wasps, which they capture, kill by striking them against branches, and remove the stingers before consumption.
To attract Summer Tanagers to your backyard, consider incorporating berry bushes and fruit trees.
11. Painted Bunting
Painted Buntings are considered rare or accidental species in Canada, but they have been spotted in the south, particularly Southern Ontario. Male Painted Buntings exhibit a striking combination of red and blue colors, with predominantly red plumage underneath, complemented by bright blue heads and green wings and backs. Females, on the other hand, display a bright yellow-green appearance.
Passerina ciris
Length: 4.7-5.1 in (12-13 cm)
Weight: 0.5-0.7 oz (13-19 g)
These buntings breed in select states within the south-central and southeastern regions of the US. They migrate at night to Central America, southern Florida, and certain Caribbean islands. Painted Buntings prefer semi-open habitats and primarily forage for seeds and insects during the breeding season.
To attract Painted Buntings, consider incorporating low, dense vegetation and feeders filled with white millet or black oil sunflower seeds.
12. Pyrrhuloxia
Pyrrhuloxias are considered accidental species in Canada, with a single sighting near Toronto recorded in 2004. Male Pyrrhuloxias possess gray plumage with notable red coloring on the face, crest, breast, and tail. Females, on the other hand, have a dull gray appearance with less red coloration.
Cardinalis sinuatus
Length: 8.3 in (21 cm)
Weight: 0.8-1.5 oz (24-43 g)
These birds primarily inhabit hot deserts in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico. While they fiercely defend their territories during the breeding season, they can be found in flocks of up to 1000 during winter. Pyrrhuloxias mainly feed on seeds but also consume insects. They can be attracted to feeders offering sunflower seeds or scattered seeds on the ground.
13. Hepatic Tanager
Hepatic Tanagers are considered accidental species in Canada, with only 8 recorded sightings in the country. Male Hepatic Tanagers are red birds with some gray coloration on their backs, while females exhibit a yellow appearance.
Piranga flava
Length: 3.5-7.9 in (8.8-20 cm)
Weight: 0.8-1.7 oz (23-47 g)
Wingspan: 12.6 in (32 cm)
These tanagers breed in southwestern states and Mexico before spending their winter in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Hepatic Tanagers can be found in mountain ranges with pine or pine and oak woodlands, where they feed on insects, spiders, and occasionally berries like cherry and grapes.
Frequency of Red Birds in Canada during Summer and Winter
State checklists provide valuable insights into the frequency of red bird sightings in Canada during summer and winter. The following list showcases the percentage of common red bird species recorded on checklists for Canada on eBird during these seasons:
Common Red Birds in Canada during Summer:
– Northern Cardinal: 16.8%
– Purple Finch: 10.8%
– House Finch: 9.5%
– Scarlet Tanager: 3.0%
– Red Crossbill: 1.2%
– White-winged Crossbill: 1.1%
– Common Redpoll: 0.7%
– Cassin’s Finch: 0.5%
– Pine Grosbeak: 0.4%
– Summer Tanager: 0.1%
– Painted Bunting: <0.1%
– Hepatic Tanager: <0.1%
Common Red Birds in Canada during Winter:
– Northern Cardinal: 16.6%
– House Finch: 12.6%
– Common Redpoll: 11.5%
– Pine Grosbeak: 6.1%
– Purple Finch: 3.0%
– White-winged Crossbill: 2.1%
– Red Crossbill: 1.1%
– Cassin’s Finch: 0.1%
– Summer Tanager: <0.1%
– Painted Bunting: <0.1%
– Scarlet Tanager: <0.1%
– Pyrrhuloxia: <0.1%