New Mexico boasts an impressive array of thirteen red bird species, each with its own distinct characteristics. This guide will assist you in identifying these species and knowing when and where to spot them.
In New Mexico, there are 13 species of red birds that have been observed. Among these, nine species are classified as regularly occurring, while an additional four species are considered rare or accidental.
To aid you in identifying these red birds in New Mexico, avibase provides valuable insights. It’s worth noting that some of these birds migrate, while others reside in the area year-round.
If you wish to enhance your backyard bird identification, you can print a free bird identification worksheet tailored specifically for New Mexico.
The most prevalent red bird in both summer and winter in New Mexico is the House Finch. However, the Summer Tanager is more commonly sighted during summer, while other species tend to be more prevalent during the winter months. Keep reading to gain further knowledge about these captivating red birds.
13 Red Birds in New Mexico:
1. House Finch
House Finches are a familiar sight year-round in New Mexico.
These birds feature red heads and breasts in males, while females exhibit brown-streaked plumage.
Size: 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 restricted to western states, House Finches were introduced to the eastern states, where they have thrived and even displaced Purple Finches. You can find them in parks, farms, forest edges, and backyard feeders, often congregating in noisy groups.
To attract more House Finches to your backyard, consider providing black oil sunflower seeds or nyjer seeds in tube or platform feeders.
2. Summer Tanager
Summer Tanagers can be spotted in New Mexico between April and October, primarily in locations such as Gila National Forest, Lincoln National Forest, and Seviletta National Refuge.
Male Summer Tanagers exhibit vibrant red plumage, while females possess a yellow hue.
Scientific Name: Piranga rubra
Size: 6.7 in (17 cm)
Weight: 1.1 oz (30 g)
These forest-dwelling songbirds breed in southern and eastern states before embarking on a winter migration to Central and South America. Known for their unique feeding behavior, they catch bees and wasps mid-flight, subduing them by beating them against branches and rubbing off the stingers before consumption.
To attract Summer Tanagers to your yard, consider planting berry bushes and fruit trees.
3. Cassin’s Finch
Cassin’s Finches are year-round residents of New Mexico.
These finches sport a red crown, rosy pink heads, red breasts with white bellies, and brown backs and wings.
Size: 6.3 in (16 cm)
Weight: 0.8-1.2 oz (24-34 g)
Wingspan: 9.8-10.6 in (25-27 cm)
They can be found in mountain forests across western states, often foraging in flocks for seeds. While not as commonly observed in backyards as House or Purple Finches, they may be attracted to sunflower seed feeders, especially during winter, or fruiting shrubs such as cotoneaster, mulberries, firethorn, grape, and apple.
4. Pyrrhuloxia
Pyrrhuloxias can be spotted year-round in New Mexico, primarily in the southern regions of the state.
Male Pyrrhuloxias feature gray plumage with prominent red coloring on their faces, crests, breasts, and tails. Females, on the other hand, exhibit a dull gray hue with less red coloration.
Scientific Name: Cardinalis sinuatus
Size: 8.3 in (21 cm)
Weight: 0.8-1.5 oz (24-43 g)
Pyrrhuloxias are residents of hot desert regions in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico. During the breeding season, they fiercely defend their territories. In winter, they often gather in flocks of up to 1000 individuals.
Pyrrhuloxias primarily feed on seeds but also consume some insects. They can be found at feeders that offer sunflower seeds, although they prefer scattered seeds on the ground.
5. Red Crossbill
While not very common in New Mexico, Red Crossbills can be spotted throughout the year in the state.
Male Red Crossbills exhibit red plumage with darker wings and tails, while females display a yellow and brown coloration.
These birds can be found year-round in northern and western states, with their winter range extending to eastern states. They have a unique feeding behavior, foraging in flocks and using their powerful beaks to pry open unopened cones. Red Crossbills can also be observed along roadsides, consuming grit in the mornings.
6. Northern Cardinal
Northern Cardinals are a year-round presence in New Mexico, although they are most commonly sighted during the summer months.
The strikingly vibrant male Northern Cardinal features red plumage on its head, body, and tail, with black accents around its face. The females are equally remarkable with their brown coloring, distinctive brown crest, red highlights, and red beaks.
Size: 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 can be found in eastern and southern states. During the breeding season, they may exhibit territorial behavior, occasionally attacking their own reflection. To attract more of these magnificent birds to your backyard, consider providing sunflower seeds, peanut hearts, millet, and milo in large tube feeders, hoppers, platform feeders, or scattered on the ground.
7. Hepatic Tanager
Hepatic Tanagers are rare sightings in New Mexico, but they can be spotted during summer between April and November.
Male Hepatic Tanagers feature red plumage with some gray on their backs, while females exhibit a yellow coloration.
Scientific Name: Piranga flava
Size: 3.5-7.9 in (8.8-20 cm)
Weight: 0.8-1.7 oz (23-47 g)
Wingspan: 12.6 in (32 cm)
Hepatic Tanagers breed in southwestern states and Mexico before spending the winter in Mexico, Central, and South America. They primarily inhabit mountain ranges with pine or pine and oak woodlands, where they feed on insects and spiders. Additionally, they consume certain berries, such as cherries and grapes.
8. Painted Bunting
Another rare red bird species in New Mexico is the Painted Bunting. These birds can be spotted primarily in the southeastern part of the state during summer.
Male Painted Buntings display a stunning patchwork of colors, with predominantly red plumage underneath and bright blue heads, green wings, and backs. Females, on the other hand, exhibit a bright yellow-green hue.
Scientific Name: Passerina ciris
Size: 4.7-5.1 in (12-13 cm)
Weight: 0.5-0.7 oz (13-19 g)
Painted Buntings breed in select states, primarily in the south-central and coastal areas of the Southeastern US. They then embark on nocturnal migrations to Central America, southern Florida, and certain Caribbean islands.
These vibrant birds are commonly found in semi-open habitats, where they forage for seeds and insects during the breeding season. To attract Painted Buntings to your yard, consider incorporating low, dense vegetation and providing feeders filled with white millet or black oil sunflower seeds.
9. Pine Grosbeak
Although rare in New Mexico, Pine Grosbeaks can occasionally be spotted throughout the year, particularly around Santa Fe and the Carson National Forest.
Pine Grosbeaks, as finches, exhibit red plumage in males, with gray wings and tail, and two distinctive white wingbars. Females, on the other hand, display a gray coloration with dull orange heads and rumps. These grosbeaks are larger in size compared to other finch species and have a leisurely demeanor.
Scientific Name: Pinicola enucleator
Size: 7.9-9.8 in (20-25 cm)
Wingspan: 13.0 in (33 cm)
Pine Grosbeaks predominantly inhabit forests of pine, spruce, and fir, where they feed on seeds, fruit, and buds from these trees. During the summer, they may also consume insects.
To attract Pine Grosbeaks to your vicinity, consider offering black oil sunflower seeds or suet in feeders.
10. Scarlet Tanager
Scarlet Tanagers are considered accidental species in New Mexico, but they have been spotted in notable locations such as Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Cibola National Forest, and Valles Caldera National Preserve.
Scarlet Tanagers exhibit bright red plumage with contrasting black wings and tails. Females, on the other hand, display a yellow hue with darker wings and tails.
Scientific Name: Piranga olivacea
Size: 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 beautiful birds breed in eastern forests during the summer months before embarking on their winter migration to South America. Scarlet Tanagers tend to stay high in the forest canopy, making them somewhat challenging to spot.
To attract more Scarlet Tanagers, consider planting berry-bearing plants such as blackberries, raspberries, huckleberries, juneberries, serviceberries, mulberries, strawberries, and chokeberries.
11. White-winged Crossbill
White-winged Crossbills are considered rare or accidental species in New Mexico, but they can occasionally be observed in areas such as Cibola National Forest and Valles Caldera National Preserve.
These finches possess distinctive crossed beaks, with males showcasing red plumage, black wings and tails, and two white wingbars. Females, on the other hand, exhibit a combination of yellow and brown hues along with two white wingbars.
Scientific Name: Loxia leucoptera
Size: 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 primarily inhabit forests in Canada, Alaska, and the northern US states when cone crops are scarce further north. They can be found in spruce forests, where they feed on seeds.
Interestingly, these birds breed throughout the year as long as there is an ample food supply. They often travel in large flocks, making their presence known through their vocalizations.
12. Common Redpoll
Common Redpolls are accidental species in New Mexico, and while they are rare to spot, a few have been observed in Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
These small birds display red foreheads, pinkish breasts, and a combination of brown and white plumage throughout the rest of their bodies.
Scientific Name: Acanthis flammea
Size: 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, Common Redpolls can be found in northern states, with occasional sightings in central states. They exhibit unique behaviors such as tunneling into snow for warmth during the night. These resilient birds can consume up to 42% of their body mass daily and store up to 2 grams of seeds in a stretchy part of their esophagus.
You may come across Common Redpolls in weedy fields or feeding on catkins in trees. They are also known to visit feeders for small seeds like nyjer seeds or thistle.
13. Purple Finch
Purple Finches are considered accidental species in New Mexico, but they have been spotted in locations such as Lake Summer and Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
These finches bear similarities to House Finches, with reddish-purple heads and breasts, accompanied by a mix of brown plumage on their backs and wings.
Scientific Name: Haemorhous purpureus
Size: 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 Purple Finches breed in Canada, they can be found overwintering in eastern states and occasionally throughout the year along the northeastern coast and the Pacific coast.
These finches thrive in evergreen forests, where they primarily feed on seeds, buds, nectar, and berries. They readily visit feeders, showing a fondness for black oil sunflower seeds.
As you explore the natural landscapes of New Mexico, keep an eye out for these remarkable red birds. Whether you spot the common House Finch or the elusive Scarlet Tanager, each sighting offers a chance to appreciate the beauty and diversity of avian life. Enjoy your birdwatching adventures!