A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Landscape trials and triumphs Butterfly and Bird Gardens Another Red Bird

We need a mystery bird section lol. I walked over to the post office and on the way I saw a red bird. It wasn't a cardinal and it wasn't a house finch. It had a redish orange head except for a black mask around it's beak and eyes. And it was bigger than a finch but with the same kind of body style. The body was red but the wings looked like they were probably brown and white banded. They were folded so I didn't get a real good look at the wings.

Any ideas what it was? I'm in Triangle Virginia if that helps.

Tk, I'm not sure WHAT you saw. Go to whatbird.com. they have an online, searchable, database-driven, field guide that allows you to put in one feature at a time that quickly eliminate birds that don't fit the description. Soon you've reduced your choices to just a few birds and can view their pictures to determine what you saw.

You might want to do a Google Image Search of an Eastern Towhee or Cedar Waxwing to see if these could be your birds.

What does this bird look like
any one know

TK your bird may have been an immature male cardinal with his crown down.

bettyboop yours looks like a towhee

I think it was the red crossbill is that possible?

They do migrate. And wander around a bit. Are there a good amount of pines near where you saw him? But they arent usually that far south. Hmmmm...

Oh wait you said black stripe through the eye. Hmm. Not on a crossbill.

no the black was like you would see on a cardinal. Maybe it was a cardinal with it's hood down. It just didn't look right for a cardinal. But then I've never seen one running around with it's hood down.

Maybe I'll see him around again and can get a better look. Who knows maybe he just stuck his face in something he shouldn't have lol.

Vermillion flycatchers are usually in the southwest
picture

I found a picture of a red crossbill where it looks like theres a black streak through his eye
picture 3rd