Charming Red Chests Birds With Pictures-2024

Birds are a highly diverse animal class, well-known for their unique appearance and plumage colour. Some birds stand out due to their big mouths, and a few birds with red chests are popular in the avian world.

The function of Red Chest of Birds

The plumage red shade varies from brilliant crimson and scarlet to deep ruby red across their species. The red chest of these birds looks so beautiful and is more than a colour. It performs multiple functions, such as 

• Attract mates via courtship display.
• Play a role in species recognition.
• Their red colour is enough to warm the predators because bright-coloured organisms are inedible and toxic.

These birds create a balance between showing off their colour for conversation and reproduction and hiding them from predators for their safety. This brief information will give you an idea of what role the red chest of these birds plays. The rest of the post gives you the names and details of the red-chested birds worldwide.

8 Birds With Red Chests

Are you a bird enthusiast who wants a detailed overview of birds with red chests? Don’t worry! Here, you get information on popular red-chested birds. 

Birds	Location
American Robin	Central America and North American
Painted Bunting	North America, Central America, and Texas
Pyrrhuloxia	Arizona, Mexico, Texas, New Mexico
Red-Breasted Sapsucker	On the west coast of Canada,  Baja California in Mexico, and the United States
Vermilion Flycatcher	Mexico, Southern United States, Northwestern South America, and Central America
Painted Redstart	Inland Central America
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak	Eastern United States and Southern Canada also moved to Mexico, Central America, and The Caribbean
Scarlet Robin	Coast of Southern Australia and Tasmania

Details of Birds with Red Chest

Now, we will discuss the details of these birds.

American Robin

The American Robin is the most recognisable bird with a red chest. It belongs to the thrush family Turdidea and is among the most common birds in Northern America. At different times of the year, the American Robin ranges across Canada, the United States, Central America, and Mexico.

They prefer habitats like cultivated landscapes (farmlands, urban areas, and parks) and open woodlands. This red-chested bird lays blue eggs, relies primarily on berries and fruits, and can enjoy insects. Most American Robins measure 9.1-11 inches, with 12-16 inches wingspans. The male has a grey-black head, red chest and underparts, grey-brown wings and back. 

Painted Buntings

Painted Bunting is another bird with a red chest and is among the songbirds of North America. In summer, this bird breeds in woodland and thickets close to water in the southern and eastern United States. During winter, it moves to the borders of tropical forests in South Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.

They generally measure 4.7 – 5.5 inches and have wingspans between 8.3 and 9.1 inches. This bird searches for food across the ground and eats seeds and insects such as caterpillars, snails, spiders, and grasshoppers. After one year of birth, males acquire bright plumage, having a blue head, red chest and underparts, and greenback. 

Fun Fact: Male species of painted buntings are aggressive and may even kill each other during fighting. The International Union for Conservation (IUCN) lists them as Least Concern, as their numbers are declining.

Pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhuloxia belongs to the cardinal family Cardinalides and is included in the birds with red chests. These birds look like Cardinals, and people often misperceive them as Northern Cardinals. Their nickname is Desert Cardinal, and they are distributed all over the arid areas of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico.

They chose habitats like dense scrublands and mesquite thickets. Most of them are around 8.3 inches long and have short features. They use their powerful beaks to eat fruits, seeds, and insects. Cotton farmers like pyrrhuloxia because they eat pests that target cotton plants, like weevils. Male plumage mostly appears grey-brown, and their face, crests, and breasts show dark red, with red streaks on wings and tails.

Red-Breasted Sapsucker

This bird belongs to the sapsucker genus Sphyrapicus, Part of the woodpecker family Picidae. It lives in forests throughout the West Coast of Canada, Baja California, and the United States. The name sapsuckers indicates that they create holes in old trees to enjoy the sap inside. After drilling holes, Red-breasted sapsuckers utilise their beaks and hairy tongues to consume the sap.

Furthermore, they feed on insects, berries, and seeds drawn to the holes they form. They drum their beaks to generate sounds to make territory and attract their mates. The Male species of this bird has red breasts and a redhead, and the rest of the plumage is black on its back and white on its belly and underparts.

Vermilion Flycatcher

Vermilion flycatchers belong to the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. They live in the southern United States, Central America, Mexico, and northwestern areas of South America. They live solitary lives and infrequently gather in small gangs of few individuals when not in the breeding season. It measures, on average, 5.1 to 5.5 inches long.

Like other flycatchers, they search for insects and feed on grasshoppers, bees, beetles, and flies. Male species have bright vermilion plumage and red crowns, breasts, necks, and underparts, while wings and backs give a brownish-grey colour. In contrast, the females don’t have red features and look nondescript.

Painted Redstart

Painted RedsTarts stands out among birds with red chests. Often known as a painted white star, they belong to the New World warbler family Parulidae. Most of them live in mountainous areas of inland Central America, especially near forested canyons and streams. They measure between 5.1 to 5.9 inches.  

During hunting, painted RedStart hoops between branches and spread wings and tails to draw out insects. In contrast to many songbirds, they nest on the ground. Males and females can often sing songs specifically during courtship. 

Both genders have the same plumage; their head, backs, tails, wings, and tails give a glossy black shade and have white stripes on their wings. Furthermore, their bellies appear bright scarlet, remarkably different from the remaining body.

Red Breasted Grosbeak

Red-breasted grosbeak, also called cut-throat, belongs to the cardinal family Cardinalidae and is included in birds with red chests. In the summer, they are found across southern Canada and the eastern United States. They spread the winter season in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. Mostly, they live in open woodland regions, such as forests, gardens, and parks. 

Generally, this bird is between 7.1 to 8.7 inches with a wingspan between 11 to 13 inches. Primarily, Red-breasted grosbeaks prey on insects while flying and enjoy berries and seeds. In contrast to most songbirds, they live a long life, with the oldest recorded specimen reaching 24 years. They get the common name from a v-shaped, rose-red path visible on the male’s chest.

Scarlet Robin

Scarlet Robin is a member of the family Petroicidae. Like other species in this family, it is confined to Australasia. This bird lives close to the coast of southern Australia and all over Tasmania. It prefers to form nests in eucalyptus forests but is also found in scrublands and urban regions.

Their size falls from 4.7 to 5.3 inches, and their large, bulbous heads are prominent. These birds primarily feed insects and spiders from the grounds. Scarlet Robins powerfully safeguard their nests from other birds. The male species of this bird has scarlet-coloured breasts, while the rest of the plumage, head, back, and tail look black. Their forehead, bellies, and underparts appear white.

FAQS

Which small birds with red chests?

American goldfinch, summer tanager, and scarlet tanager are small birds with red chests.

Which Bluebird has a red chest?

No bird in the US is blue and has a red chest, but Belted Kingfishers and Eastern Bluebirds are the closest ones.

Which white and black bird has a red chest?
There are black-and-white birds in the US with red chests, but the most common are the Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Painted Redstart.

Wrapping Up

Birds with red chests catch our attention in the avian world. These birds include Red-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Robin, American Robin, Painted Redstart, Painted Bunting, Pyrrguloxia,  House Finch, Red-breasted Meadowlark, and Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker.

Red chests are mostly seen on male birds only, especially in the breeding season, to compete for mates. Moreover, in some species, both males and females have red chests, and this colour remains throughout the year. Expand your knowledge by exploring small birds with long beaks.