Within its boundaries, the vast state of Texas encompasses a wide range of environmental situations and habitats. Many diverse habitats for birds may be found from the mesas and scrub of West Texas to the rolling green fields of East Texas. Texas is home to a variety of red birds that live and travel about. The habitat, food, and behavior of eight red birds in Texas are examined in this article. Read on to learn how to entice these lively, cheery birds to your yard!
8 RED BIRDS IN TEXAS
1. NORTHERN CARDINAL
Scientific name: Cardinalis cardinalis
The Northern Cardinal, a common red bird throughout most of the East and Southwest, has made itself at home in Texas. It nests and hides in the dense thickets that dot the state’s open woodlands, where it finds food. The males have vibrant red coloration, while the females are tawny brown in hue.
In the spring and summer, spot males sing from exposed perches. Because their red feathers stand out against dead foliage in the winter, they’re easy to spot visually.
Almost any kind of birdseed will draw Northern Cardinals to your feeder. Finches are seed-eating songbirds, and seeds are particularly appealing to them.
2. SUMMER TANAGER
Scientific name: Piranga rubra
Summer Tanagers are easy to see in a Texas woodland! Against the green foliage of nearby plants and shrubs, the vivid crimson feathers of this bird stand out. The only ones who are strawberry-colored are males. Females are more difficult to see in the underbrush because they are dark yellow.
Seed packets aren’t likely to appeal to a Summer Tanager. These insectivores capture hundreds of bees in the process of pursuing them. Berries, on the other hand, are poisonous to them, so you should plant some in your yard.
3. SCARLET TANAGER
Scientific name: Piranga olivacea
The Scarlet Tanager is on this list because of its brilliant red feathers and tendency to transit through the eastern portion of the state during migration. Even though it is just a passing visitant to Texas, it is included here.
Bright red with black wings and a black tail, male Scarlet Tanagers are a dazzling sight. They use their dynamic coloring to attract yellow-green females during the breeding season. Males molt to a similar green color after the breeding season and flocks migrate south.
During the start of the migration season, you may be lucky enough to glimpse a little-scarlet Scarlet Tanager in either the spring or fall. Search for them in wooded areas with rich berry species.
4. VERMILION FLYCATCHER
Scientific name: Pyrocephalus rubinus
The Vermilion Flycatcher may be found in three types of habitat in Texas: breeding, year-round, and nonbreeding. Only in the spring and summer does West Texas see these birds. They are found in the winter on the coast of Texas. Vermilion Flycatchers can be found year-round in this area.
Scarlet males wear a crimson head and belly with a black covering over their eyes, similar to a bandit. Females are nondescript, but their delicate face and silky-smooth belly are equally endearing.
You can’t attract Vermilion Flycatchers to your yard with seeds because they only eat insects. However, they may hang out around a pond or lake to prey on insects if you have one.
5. HOUSE FINCH
Scientific name: Haemorhous mexicanus
This year-round resident of western and central Texas is a ubiquitous visitor to feeders throughout much of the United States. They may be found in city parks and suburban gardens, and they adapt well to human development. Only males have a red wash on their heads, upper back, and belly, while females are light brown with dark brown streaks.
The antioxidant properties of the foods that males consume give them their dark red color. What color do they turn when they eat? Berries are the subject of this song. Females have been observed selecting males with redder feathers in certain circumstances.
By presenting black oil sunflower seeds, you may entice House Finches to come to your feeders. If there’s one finch today, there’ll almost certainly be another twenty tomorrow! These birds often go in groups.
6. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER
Scientific name: Melanerpes carolinus
The Red-bellied Woodpecker has a tough beak and a keen tongue, allowing it to penetrate even the densest tree bark for insects. Their vividly crimson stripe across the top of their head and heavily black and white speckled wings makes them easy to spot. They also have a crimson lower belly, which is typically difficult to detect.
The woods and open woodlands of East Texas are home to the red-bellied woodpecker. They prefer to nest in enclosed spaces rather than open-air nests, making their nests out of dead trees and snags.
During the winter, offering suet is your best bet to bring them to your yard. It helps vulnerable groups and adds to their diet.
7. PYRRHULOXIA
Scientific name: Cardinalis sinuatus
The Pyrrhuloxia has a comparable body form and crest to its cousin, the Northern Cardinal. It has a parrot-like beak that is small and strong. Pyrrhuloxia, on the other hand, has a combination of gray and dark red coloration that is less vivid.
In the dry scrub landscape of western Texas, look for a Pyrrhuloxia. They can withstand high summer temperatures and strong winter winds, making them bold and daring. During the winter, males and femen have the same coloring and may be found in groups of up to a thousand birds.
Insects, seeds, and berries are all eaten by these gregarious birds. By giving sunflower seeds, you may entice them to a bird feeder. Spraying seeds on your lawn or patio may attract them more than providing food in a feeder since they forage on the ground in the wild.
8. PAINTED BUNTING
Scientific name: Passerina ciris
A visual feast is the Painted Bunting. This little songbird is practically strange to observe in the Texas hill country, from technicolor indigo to lime green to brilliant scarlet. Except for the extreme west, spot one everywhere in Texas.
Texas homes to several because they prefer deep foliage and thickets. In the United States, they only spend spring and summer. They go south in the autumn and spend the winter in Central America.
When they’ll be eager to eat seeds in preparation for their long migration south, attract them to your yard at the conclusion of summer.