Colorado’s diverse landscapes—from the eastern plains to the towering Rocky Mountains—create the perfect habitat for an impressive variety of red-headed birds.
Whether you’re scanning backyard feeders in Denver or hiking mountain trails near Aspen, spotting these vibrant species can transform any outdoor excursion into an unforgettable wildlife encounter.
From the common House Finch with its rosy-red crown to the striking Red-headed Woodpecker’s brilliant crimson dome, Colorado hosts both year-round residents and seasonal visitors that showcase nature’s most eye-catching color palette.
This comprehensive guide will help you identify all 15 red-headed bird species found throughout the Centennial State, complete with distinguishing features, habitat preferences, and the best locations to spot each one.
Finches
1. House Finch
The House Finch stands as Colorado’s most abundant red-headed bird, particularly thriving in urban and suburban environments from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins.
Adult males display bright red feathers on the head and upper breast, with the intensity varying based on their carotenoid-rich diet.
Key Identification Features:
- Males: Rosy-red crown, throat, and breast with streaky brown back
- Females: Grayish-brown with heavy streaking, lacking any red coloration
- Size: 6 inches with rounded heads and conical bills
- Habitat: Urban areas, suburban backyards, and settled communities
Originally a western bird, House Finches weren’t found on the east coast until the 1940s, making their Colorado population part of the original western range. These adaptable birds are often the first to discover new feeders and readily accept black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer, and safflower.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: House Finches are year-round residents found throughout Colorado’s Front Range cities, mountain communities, and even small towns in the San Luis Valley.
2. Cassin’s Finch
The male Cassin’s finch displays a red-brown head, rosy throat and breast, and a bright raspberry-red cap that distinguishes it from the House Finch. This mountain specialist prefers Colorado’s coniferous forests and represents one of the state’s more challenging identification puzzles.
Key Identification Features:
- Males: Raspberry-red crown with rosy-pink throat and breast
- Females: Gray-brown with heavy streaking below and patterned head
- Size: Slightly larger than House Finch with longer wings
- Habitat: Coniferous forests, especially at higher elevations
Cassin’s Finches prefer coniferous forests and can be seen year-round in the mountainous habitat of northern Colorado, forming flocks outside the breeding season and sometimes visiting lower elevations during cold winters. They’re particularly fond of seeds from pine, fir, and spruce trees.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: Look for Cassin’s Finches in the montane and subalpine zones of Rocky Mountain National Park, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and the San Juan Mountains.
3. Purple Finch
While less common in Colorado than House or Cassin’s Finches, Purple Finches do occur in the state, particularly during migration and winter months. Males show a distinctive raspberry-red wash over their entire head and upper body.
Key Identification Features:
- Males: Raspberry-red head, throat, and back with unmarked white belly
- Females: Brown with white eyebrow stripe and heavily streaked underparts
- Size: Similar to House Finch but with more compact build
- Habitat: Mixed and coniferous forests, woodland edges
Purple Finches can be distinguished from House Finches by their more extensive red coloration and less streaky appearance. They prefer mature forests with diverse seed sources.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: Occasional in mountainous areas during migration, particularly in areas with diverse coniferous and mixed forests.
Crossbills and Specialty Finches
4. Red Crossbill
Red Crossbills are highly dependent on conifer seeds, with males showing deep red heads, undersides, and rumps, while their distinctive crossed bills allow them to harvest seeds from pine cones. These nomadic finches follow cone crops across Colorado’s mountainous regions.
Key Identification Features:
- Males: Deep red overall with dark brown wings and distinctive crossed bill
- Females: Olive-colored with reddish streaks on flanks and belly
- Size: Stocky build with large head and specialized bill
- Habitat: Coniferous forests with recent cone crops
They’re found in large coniferous forests during breeding season, mainly spruce, pine, Douglas-fir, hemlock, or larch, but wander wherever they need to go to find food in winter. Red Crossbills can breed any time of year if sufficient cone crops are available.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: Most reliable in Colorado’s high-elevation coniferous forests, including areas around Vail, Aspen, and the Medicine Bow Mountains.
5. Pine Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeaks represent one of Colorado’s most sought-after mountain birds, with males displaying a beautiful rosy-red head and body. These large, tame finches inhabit Colorado’s highest elevation forests.
Key Identification Features:
- Males: Rosy-red head, breast, and rump with gray flanks
- Females: Golden-yellow head and rump with gray body
- Size: Large and chunky, nearly the size of an American Robin
- Habitat: High-elevation coniferous forests, especially spruce-fir
Pine Grosbeaks feed primarily on seeds, buds, and berries. During winter, they may descend to lower elevations in search of mountain ash berries and other food sources.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: High-elevation areas above 9,000 feet, including Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park and the subalpine zones of Colorado’s fourteeners.
Flycatchers and Rare Visitors
6. Vermilion Flycatcher
The Vermilion flycatcher is rare in Colorado but occasionally sighted, with males showing vivid red heads and underparts. This spectacular flycatcher represents one of North America’s most beautiful birds when found in Colorado.
Key Identification Features:
- Males: Brilliant red crown, throat, and belly with dark brown back
- Females: Grayish-brown above with peachy-pink belly
- Size: Small and compact with typical flycatcher posture
- Habitat: Open areas near water, riparian zones
Vermilion Flycatchers are primarily southwestern birds that occasionally wander into Colorado, particularly along the Arkansas River valley and in the southeastern counties.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: Rare vagrant, most likely in southeastern Colorado along river valleys and around reservoirs during migration periods.
Cardinals and Tanagers
7. Northern Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal is rare but possible in eastern Colorado, with males being entirely red including the head. These iconic birds are expanding their range westward and now occasionally appear along Colorado’s eastern border.
Key Identification Features:
- Males: Brilliant red overall with black face mask and bright red crest
- Females: Warm brown with reddish tinges on wings, tail, and crest
- Size: Medium-sized with prominent crest and thick orange bill
- Habitat: Woodland edges, parks, and suburban areas with dense shrubs
Northern Cardinals prefer areas with dense understory vegetation and are most likely found in Colorado’s eastern counties where habitat is suitable.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: Occasionally reported in eastern Colorado counties, particularly around communities with established vegetation and bird feeders.
8. Summer Tanager
Summer tanagers are rare migrants in Colorado, with males displaying all-red plumage. These birds represent exciting vagrants when they appear in the state during migration.
Key Identification Features:
- Males: Rose-red overall with large, pale-colored bill
- Females: Olive-yellow above with yellow below
- Size: Larger than a House Finch with thick, pale bill
- Habitat: Open woodlands, particularly areas with oak trees
Summer Tanagers are primarily southeastern birds that occasionally overshoot their normal range during spring migration.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: Rare vagrant, most likely during May migration in riparian areas and wooded parks.
9. Western Tanager
Male Western Tanagers are unmistakable with their orange-red heads, brilliant yellow bodies, and coal-black wings, back, and tail. This species represents one of Colorado’s most spectacular summer residents.
Key Identification Features:
- Males: Orange-red head with bright yellow body and black wings
- Females: Olive-green above with yellow below and gray wings
- Size: Robin-sized with distinctive tanager bill shape
- Habitat: Open coniferous forests, aspen groves
Western Tanagers obtain their red head feathers from a rare pigment called rhodoxanthin, which they probably get from insects in their diet. They’re common summer residents throughout Colorado’s mountainous regions.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: Widespread in Colorado’s montane forests from May through August, including Rocky Mountain National Park, the San Juan Mountains, and areas around Steamboat Springs.
Woodpeckers: The Tree-Dwelling Red-Heads
10. Red-headed Woodpecker
Adults have brilliant crimson heads, white underparts, and black backs with large white wing patches, creating an incredibly striking appearance unlike other woodpeckers. This species has experienced significant population declines but still occurs in suitable Colorado habitat.
Key Identification Features:
- Adults: Entire head and neck bright red with stark white body
- Juveniles: Gray-brown heads that turn red by their first winter
- Size: Medium woodpecker, between Robin and crow size
- Habitat: Open woodlands with clear understories, dead timber
Unfortunately, populations of Red-headed Woodpeckers have declined in Colorado by over 70% in the past 50 years, mainly due to habitat loss. They prefer mature forests with abundant dead trees for nesting and food caching.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: Scattered locations in eastern Colorado’s riparian forests and burned areas with standing dead timber.
11. Pileated Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker, North America’s largest woodpecker, sports a prominent red crest that makes it unmistakable when glimpsed in Colorado’s mature forests.
Key Identification Features:
- Both sexes: Large red crest (males have red forehead, females have black)
- Size: Crow-sized with distinctive undulating flight pattern
- Body: Black overall with white wing patches visible in flight
- Habitat: Mature forests with large dead trees
Pileated Woodpeckers require large territories with abundant dead and dying trees for feeding on carpenter ants and wood-boring beetle larvae.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: Mature riparian forests along the South Platte, Arkansas, and Colorado Rivers, plus mountain forests with substantial dead timber.
12. Hairy Woodpecker
The hairy woodpecker has black and white head patterns, with adult males featuring a red nape patch that females lack. This medium-sized woodpecker is common throughout Colorado’s forested regions.
Key Identification Features:
- Males: Black and white with small red patch on back of head
- Females: Identical but lacking the red patch
- Size: Larger than Downy Woodpecker with longer, chisel-like bill
- Habitat: Mature forests, suburban backyards, urban parks
Hairy Woodpeckers are common in Colorado in mature forests, suburban backyards, urban parks, swamps, orchards, and even cemeteries. They can be found anywhere with abundant large trees.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: Year-round residents throughout forested areas of Colorado, from the Front Range foothills to high-elevation aspen and coniferous forests.
13. Downy Woodpecker
The downy woodpecker is a year-round resident throughout Colorado, with males distinguished by a small red spot on the back of their heads. This smallest North American woodpecker adapts well to human-modified landscapes.
Key Identification Features:
- Males: Black and white with small red patch on nape
- Females: Identical pattern but no red coloration
- Size: Smaller than Hairy Woodpecker with proportionally smaller bill
- Habitat: Deciduous woods, suburban areas, feeders
Downy Woodpeckers favor semi-open woodlands and wooded urban areas, making them more likely to visit backyard feeders. They’re excellent birds for beginning birders to learn woodpecker identification.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: Common year-round throughout Colorado in suitable habitat, particularly along riparian corridors and in urban areas with mature trees.
14. Red-naped Sapsucker
Red-naped sapsuckers are black-and-white birds with males having a red cap and throat. These methodical woodpeckers create distinctive rows of sap wells in aspen and other deciduous trees.
Key Identification Features:
- Males: Red forehead and throat with black and white head pattern
- Females: Red forehead only, white throat
- Size: Medium woodpecker with straight, chisel-like bill
- Habitat: Aspen groves and mixed forests
Red-naped Sapsuckers are particularly associated with aspen forests throughout Colorado’s mountains, where their sap wells provide food for numerous other species.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: Common breeding birds in Colorado’s aspen belt, from roughly 7,000 to 10,000 feet elevation throughout the Rockies.
15. Williamson’s Sapsucker
Williamson’s sapsuckers have males with red throat patches, representing one of Colorado’s most sexually dimorphic woodpeckers. Males and females look so different they were once considered separate species.
Key Identification Features:
- Males: Black overall with white wing patches, red throat, and yellow belly
- Females: Barred brown and white pattern with minimal red
- Size: Large sapsucker with distinctive square head
- Habitat: High-elevation coniferous forests
Williamson’s Sapsuckers inhabit mountain areas of the West, including the Rocky Mountains, and visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park have the opportunity to see them. They prefer mature coniferous forests above 8,000 feet elevation.
Where to Find Them in Colorado: High-elevation forests throughout Colorado’s mountains, particularly in areas with mixed coniferous species and some aspen component.
Seasonal Patterns and Best Viewing Times
Colorado’s red-headed birds follow distinct seasonal patterns that can help you plan successful birding trips. Spring migration (April through May) brings Western Tanagers back from their Central American wintering grounds, while summer months offer the best opportunities to see breeding plumage at its most vibrant.
- Spring (March-May): Western Tanagers return, finches show brightest breeding colors, woodpeckers become more vocal and active
- Summer (June-August): Peak breeding season with full red plumage, territorial behaviors most visible, young birds learning to forage
- Fall (September-November): Migration brings vagrant species through Colorado, winter finch movements begin
- Winter (December-February): Resident species concentrate at feeders, northern finches may irrupt southward during harsh winters
Habitat Guide: Where to Find Red-Headed Birds
Colorado’s diverse ecosystems each support different assemblages of red-headed species. Understanding these habitat preferences will significantly improve your birding success.
- Urban and Suburban Areas (5,000-6,500 feet): House Finches dominate, with occasional Northern Cardinals and regular Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers at feeders
- Riparian Zones (4,000-8,000 feet): All woodpecker species possible, best habitat for vagrant flycatchers and tanagers during migration
- Montane Forests (8,000-10,000 feet): Western Tanagers, Cassin’s Finches, Red-naped Sapsuckers, and most woodpecker species thrive
- Subalpine Zone (10,000-11,500 feet): Pine Grosbeaks, Williamson’s Sapsuckers, and specialized coniferous forest species
- Coniferous Forests (All Elevations): Red Crossbills follow cone crops, Three-toed Woodpeckers in burned areas, specialized high-elevation species
Photography and Observation Tips
Successfully photographing and observing Colorado’s red-headed birds requires understanding their behavior patterns and habitat preferences.
Early morning hours typically provide the best lighting and bird activity, particularly during the first two hours after sunrise.
Equipment Recommendations:
- Binoculars: 8×42 or 10×42 for versatile viewing
- Camera: 400mm minimum lens for quality bird photography
- Field guides: Colorado-specific resources for accurate identification
Behavioral Clues:
- Finches often feed in flocks and call frequently while foraging
- Woodpeckers drum territorially on resonant dead wood
- Tanagers move deliberately through forest canopies gleaning insects
- Crossbills work systematically through cone-bearing trees
Conservation and Habitat Protection
Many of Colorado’s red-headed birds face ongoing conservation challenges. Red-headed Woodpecker populations have declined by over 70% in the past 50 years mainly due to habitat loss, while climate change affects high-elevation specialists like Pine Grosbeaks and Williamson’s Sapsuckers.
Supporting bird conservation in Colorado involves:
- Maintaining mature trees on private property
- Supporting prescribed fire programs that create snag habitat
- Choosing native plants for landscaping that provide seeds and insects
- Participating in citizen science projects like eBird and Christmas Bird Counts
- Supporting organizations working to protect critical habitats
Creating bird-friendly spaces in your own backyard can make a meaningful difference. Offering multiple feeder types with black oil sunflower seeds, suet, and nyjer seed will attract various finch and woodpecker species.
Providing fresh water sources and maintaining some dead branches (where safe) creates valuable habitat for cavity-nesting species.
Year-Round Birding Opportunities
Colorado’s geographic diversity means excellent red-headed bird watching opportunities exist throughout the year.
Winter concentrates many species at feeders and reliable food sources, making identification easier for beginning birders. Spring migration offers the chance to see vagrant species that rarely appear in the state.
The state’s extensive public lands provide numerous accessible birding locations. Rocky Mountain National Park offers everything from urban-edge House Finches to high-alpine Pine Grosbeaks.
State parks like Chatfield and Cherry Creek concentrate waterfowl and riparian species, while national forests provide access to specialized montane and subalpine habitats.
Consider joining local birding groups or Audubon chapters to learn about recent sightings and productive birding locations.
Colorado’s active birding community regularly shares information about rare species through eBird, social media, and email lists, making it easier to connect with the state’s incredible avian diversity.
Whether you’re identifying your first House Finch at a backyard feeder or tracking down a rare Vermilion Flycatcher along the Arkansas River, Colorado’s red-headed birds offer endless opportunities for discovery.
Each species tells a unique story about adaptation, migration, and the complex relationships between birds and their habitats across the diverse landscapes of the Centennial State.
