Northern Cardinal
high confidenceCardinalis cardinalis
A stocky, all-red songbird perched on the curved arm of a shepherd's-hook feeder pole. The pointed crest on the crown, thick conical seed-cracking bill, dark shading around the face and chin, and long red tail are diagnostic of a male Northern Cardinal, though the somewhat duller, brownish-red wash suggests a young male or a bird in worn/molting plumage.
Other possibilities:
- Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) — Another all-red songbird, but it lacks a crest and has a paler, less massive bill \u2014 the visible crest here rules it out.
- House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) — A common red-tinged feeder bird, but far smaller, streaky below, and crestless.
2026-08-22