Tag: american bird conservancy

The Black-Headed Grosbeak is a chunky, distinctive songbird found throughout western North America. The male’s black head and contrasting black and white wings set off a bright cinnamon nape, back, and underside. The center of his belly shades to lemon yellow, then becomes white on the lower belly and undertail. The female Black-Headed Grosbeak lacks the male’s dark head and is patterned in quieter shades of buff and brown, with fine striping along her flanks. Both sexes have yellow wing linings that are most conspicuous in flight, and the … Continue

The beautiful Yellow Cardinal is the only member of its genus, Gubernatrix (governess), a name based on the Latin word gubernare, which means to command or direct. This title is a nod to the Yellow Cardinal’s striking crest, which reminded taxonomists of the feathered and plumed hats worn by military commanders of that day.

Both sexes of Yellow Cardinal have a pointed black crest and black throat patch. The male is the more vivid of the pair, bright yellow below and streaky yellow-olive above, with a yellow eyebrow and … Continue

The handsome Red-Crested Cardinal is well-named, with a bright red crest that the bird can raise and lower and a red head and chest. It’s white underneath, with a gray back, wings, and tail and a conical, light-colored bill. Juvenile Red-Crested Cardinals are similar to the adults, but are brownish-orange where the adults are red. The Red-Crested Cardinal is sometimes called the Brazilian Cardinal, a nod to its South American distribution. Its genus name, Paroaria, derives from Tiéguacú paroára, a name for a small yellow, red and grey bird … Continue