Chicago’s urban landscape and nearby natural areas create perfect habitat for vibrant red birds throughout the year. Whether you’re scanning your backyard feeder or exploring one of the city’s many parks, you’ll encounter everything from the familiar Northern Cardinal’s cheerful whistle to the rare Pine Grosbeak’s melodic warble.
This guide reveals nine spectacular red bird species that call Chicago home, whether year-round or during seasonal visits, along with proven strategies to identify each one and discover the best spots to observe them.
1. Northern Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal stands as Chicago’s most recognizable red bird, bringing year-round color to urban gardens and forest preserves alike. Male cardinals display brilliant scarlet plumage from head to tail, accented by a distinctive black face mask and a prominent pointed crest. You’ll immediately notice their thick, orange-red bills perfectly designed for cracking seeds and nuts.
Female cardinals sport more subtle beauty with warm brown plumage highlighted by reddish tinges on their wings, crest, and tail. Both sexes share that characteristic crest and robust bill that make identification straightforward even from a distance.
Pro Tip: Listen for the cardinal’s loud, clear whistling song that sounds like “birdy-birdy-birdy” or “cheer-cheer-cheer.” Females also sing, unlike most North American bird species, making them easier to locate during breeding season.
Cardinals thrive in Chicago’s dense shrubs, woodland edges, and residential areas with mature vegetation. You’ll find them visiting backyard feeders throughout the day, with peak activity during early morning and late afternoon hours. They particularly favor sunflower seeds and safflower seeds, often remaining in the same territory year-round once established.
Where to Spot Them:
- Lincoln Park’s wooded areas near North Pond
- Garfield Park Conservatory grounds
- Residential neighborhoods with mature landscaping
- Forest preserves along the North Branch Trail
The species maintains stable populations across Chicago thanks to abundant food sources and suitable nesting habitat in both urban and suburban settings.
2. House Finch
House Finches bring rosy-red splashes of color to Chicago’s urban environment, frequently gathering in small flocks at backyard feeders and park edges. Male House Finches display vibrant red coloring concentrated on their head, breast, and rump, while their back and wings show brown streaking. The intensity of red varies among individuals, ranging from pale orange to deep crimson depending on diet and genetics.
These adaptable birds measure smaller than Northern Cardinals, with more compact bodies and shorter, conical bills suited for seed-eating. Female House Finches lack any red coloring, instead featuring overall brown plumage with heavy streaking across their underparts that creates excellent camouflage.
Key Insight: The House Finch’s warbling song consists of a long, jumbled series of notes, often ending with an upward or downward slur. Males sing from prominent perches to establish territory and attract mates.
House Finches originally inhabited western North America but expanded eastward after introduction to New York in the 1940s, reaching Chicago by the 1970s. They now rank among the city’s most common feeder birds, thriving in areas with human activity.
You’ll observe these social birds in groups ranging from pairs to flocks of 20 or more individuals. They feed primarily on seeds, buds, and fruit, showing particular fondness for nyjer seed and black oil sunflower seeds at feeders. Unlike cardinals, House Finches readily perch directly on tube feeders rather than preferring platform or hopper styles.
Common Mistake: Many observers confuse male House Finches with Purple Finches. House Finches show brown streaking on their sides and belly, while Purple Finches display cleaner, unstreaked underparts with more extensive raspberry-red coloring.
During nesting season from March through August, House Finches construct cup-shaped nests in various locations including building ledges, hanging plants, and tree cavities. Their year-round presence makes them reliable subjects for beginning birdwatchers building identification skills.
3. Purple Finch
The Purple Finch visits Chicago primarily during spring and fall migration, with some individuals remaining through winter months when food sources prove adequate.
Male Purple Finches showcase deeper, more extensive raspberry-red coloring than House Finches, appearing as though “dipped in wine” across their head, breast, and back. This rich coloration lacks the brown streaking that characterizes House Finches, creating a cleaner, more uniform appearance.
These stocky finches feature notched tails and slightly larger, more robust bills compared to House Finches. Female Purple Finches display bold white eyebrows and distinct facial patterns that make identification more straightforward than their male counterparts’ subtle differences.
| Feature | Purple Finch | House Finch |
|---|---|---|
| Male Coloring | Raspberry-red, wine-dipped appearance | Orange to red with brown streaking |
| Underparts | Clean, unstreaked | Heavy brown streaking on sides |
| Size | Slightly larger, stockier | Smaller, more compact |
| Bill | Thicker, more curved upper edge | Straighter, smaller |
| Facial Pattern | Less distinct | Plain face on males |
| Abundance in Chicago | Uncommon migrant/winter visitor | Common year-round resident |
Purple Finches prefer woodland habitats and forest edges more than their House Finch cousins, making them less frequent feeder visitors in urban Chicago. During migration periods in April-May and September-October, watch for them in parks with mature trees and dense understory vegetation.
Important Note: Purple Finch numbers have declined significantly across their range in recent decades, making each sighting more noteworthy for Chicago-area birders.
Their musical song flows more smoothly than the House Finch’s choppy warble, consisting of rich, rising and falling phrases. During winter visits, Purple Finches feed on tree buds, seeds, and berries, occasionally joining mixed flocks with other finch species at well-stocked feeders offering sunflower seeds.
Prime viewing locations include Morton Arboretum during migration, the Chicago Botanic Garden’s wooded sections, and the lakefront parks during fall movements. Patient observers scanning feeding flocks in these areas during peak migration periods stand the best chance of adding Purple Finch to their Chicago bird list.
4. Summer Tanager
The Summer Tanager brings tropical brilliance to Chicago’s landscape during breeding season, though sightings remain relatively uncommon compared to cardinals and finches.
Adult males display stunning rose-red plumage covering their entire body, lacking any black markings that might cause confusion with Scarlet Tanagers. Their coloration appears slightly paler and more uniform than the Scarlet Tanager’s intense scarlet.
Female Summer Tanagers wear mustard-yellow plumage that can appear greenish in certain lighting, with some individuals showing orangish tones. Their relatively large, pale bills and overall substantial size help distinguish them from warblers and other small yellow birds.
These canopy specialists typically remain high in mature deciduous trees, making observation challenging without patience and good optics. Summer Tanagers specialize in catching bees and wasps in midair, a unique dietary preference among North American tanagers that requires careful observation to witness.
Pro Tip: Listen for the Summer Tanager’s robin-like song consisting of clear, melodious phrases given at a steady pace. Their distinctive call note sounds like “pik-a-tuk” or “ki-ti-tuk,” often revealing their presence before visual confirmation.
In Chicago, Summer Tanagers appear mainly during spring migration from late April through May, with rare breeding records in southern suburbs and occasional summer sightings in suitable habitat. They prefer mature forests with open understories, particularly areas near water where insects prove abundant.
Your best opportunities for spotting Summer Tanagers occur in:
- Palos Forest Preserves during peak migration
- Jackson Park’s Wooded Island
- Montrose Point during May fallouts
- Illinois Beach State Park’s mature forests
The species feeds primarily on insects, especially bees, wasps, and their larvae, which they expertly extract from nests and catch in flight. Unlike seed-eating finches, tanagers rarely visit backyard feeders, though they may investigate offerings of oranges or grape jelly during migration.
Summer Tanagers typically nest in horizontal branches of large trees, constructing shallow cup nests well away from the trunk. Their breeding range extends primarily across southern states, making Chicago-area nesting attempts noteworthy events that attract attention from local birders monitoring rare breeding species.
5. Scarlet Tanager
Scarlet Tanagers rank among Chicago’s most spectacular migratory visitors, with males displaying electric scarlet bodies contrasted by jet-black wings and tail.
This striking color combination makes identification unmistakable during breeding season, when males appear in full breeding plumage from May through July. Their medium size, slightly larger than robins, and distinctive thick bills adapted for catching insects complete their profile.
Female Scarlet Tanagers and non-breeding males wear olive-green plumage above with yellowish underparts, accompanied by dark gray or blackish wings. Even in this more subdued plumage, their wing coloration and overall shape distinguish them from other yellow-green birds in Chicago’s forests.
Key Insight: Male Scarlet Tanagers undergo a complete molt after breeding season, transforming from brilliant red to yellow-green while retaining their black wings. This transitional plumage appears during fall migration, sometimes causing identification confusion.
These forest-dwelling birds inhabit Chicago’s mature deciduous woodlands during migration and occasionally breed in suitable habitat.
Scarlet Tanagers forage primarily in tree canopies, moving deliberately through foliage while searching for caterpillars, beetles, and other insects. Their preference for tall trees makes neck strain a common side effect of extended observation sessions.
The Scarlet Tanager’s song resembles a hoarse robin’s melody, consisting of 4-5 phrase patterns delivered in quick succession. Many birders describe it as sounding like “a robin with a sore throat.” Their distinctive “chick-burr” call note often betrays their presence high in the canopy before visual detection occurs.
Comparison of Red Tanagers in Chicago:
| Characteristic | Scarlet Tanager | Summer Tanager |
|---|---|---|
| Male Body Color | Electric scarlet | Rose-red |
| Wing Color | Jet black | Rose-red (matching body) |
| Bill | Thick, dark | Large, pale yellowish |
| Size | Medium (robin-sized) | Slightly larger |
| Song | Hoarse, robin-like | Clear, melodious |
| Chicago Status | Regular migrant, rare breeder | Uncommon migrant |
| Habitat Preference | Dense deciduous forest | Open woodland, forest edge |
During spring migration peaking in mid-May, look for Scarlet Tanagers in Chicago’s premium birding locations including the Magic Hedge at Montrose Point, Northerly Island, and the lakefront parks during morning hours.
They frequently appear during migration fallouts when weather conditions concentrate migrants along the lakefront.
A few pairs breed in Chicago’s largest forest preserves with mature oak-hickory forests, particularly in the Palos and Skokie areas. They construct shallow cup nests on horizontal branches far from tree trunks, typically 20-50 feet above ground where they remain well-hidden in dense foliage.
6. Red Crossbill
Red Crossbills represent one of Chicago’s most unusual and unpredictable red bird species, appearing in irregular numbers depending on food availability and regional movements.
Male Red Crossbills display brick-red or orange-red plumage covering most of their body, with darker wings and tail. Their most distinctive feature remains their unique crossed bill tips, specially adapted for extracting seeds from conifer cones.
Female Red Crossbills wear dull greenish-yellow plumage with grayish tones, while juvenile birds show streaky plumage before developing adult coloration. All ages share the characteristic crossed mandibles that give the species its name, though the crossing pattern varies individually with some birds crossing right and others left.
Important Note: Red Crossbills rarely follow predictable migration patterns. Instead, they exhibit “irruptive” behavior, appearing in large numbers during some years while remaining absent in others, depending on cone crop success in their primary northern habitats.
These nomadic finches inhabit coniferous forests and mixed woodlands where pine, spruce, or hemlock trees produce cone crops. In Chicago, Red Crossbills appear most frequently during winter months when northern cone failures trigger southward movements. They often announce their presence with distinctive “jip-jip-jip” flight calls given constantly as flocks move between feeding areas.
Red Crossbills feed almost exclusively on conifer seeds, using their specialized bills to pry open cone scales and extract seeds with their tongues. This feeding method proves so efficient that crossbills can process cones inaccessible to other seed-eating birds, creating a unique ecological niche.
Where to Find Red Crossbills:
- Search areas with mature conifers during winter irruption years
- Listen for flight calls overhead, especially during morning hours
- Check Chicago Botanic Garden’s conifer collections
- Monitor local birding reports for flock locations
- Visit Morton Arboretum’s extensive conifer plantings
Scientists have identified multiple “call types” of Red Crossbills, representing distinct populations or potentially separate species that differ in vocalizations, bill size, and habitat preferences.
This ongoing research adds complexity to crossbill identification, though most Chicago-area birds belong to the widespread Type 2 or Type 3 populations.
When Red Crossbills do appear in Chicago, they often remain in an area for several weeks or months if food supplies last, providing repeated viewing opportunities once located. Their acrobatic feeding behavior, hanging upside-down from cone tips while extracting seeds, creates entertaining observation sessions for patient birders.
7. Pine Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeaks bring rare winter beauty to Chicago during exceptional irruption years, though sightings remain considerably less frequent than other red bird species.
Male Pine Grosbeaks showcase soft rosy-red coloring on their head, back, and underparts, contrasted by gray flanks and two white wing bars. Their substantial size—larger than robins—and thick, stubby bills create an unmistakable profile.
These large finches move with deliberate, unhurried movements while feeding on buds, seeds, and berries in trees. Female Pine Grosbeaks display golden-yellow or olive coloring on their head and rump instead of red, maintaining the same overall structure and wing pattern as males.
Pro Tip: Pine Grosbeaks earn their reputation as remarkably tame birds, often allowing close approach by observers. Their gentle disposition and musical warbling calls make encounters memorable despite their rarity in Chicago.
During major irruption winters occurring roughly every 3-5 years, small numbers of Pine Grosbeaks reach northern Illinois when food shortages in their boreal forest habitats trigger southward movements.
These irregular visitors typically appear from December through March, feeding on mountain ash berries, crabapples, and tree buds in parks and residential areas.
The species’ musical call notes sound soft and whistled, often described as “tee-tee-tew” given in flight or while perched. Their warbling song, heard occasionally even during winter, consists of rich, melodious phrases delivered at a leisurely pace.
Pine Grosbeak Irruption Indicators:
- Reports of large numbers appearing across Minnesota and Wisconsin
- Widespread crop failures of mountain ash and other northern berries
- Severe winter conditions in Canadian boreal forests
- Increased sightings at traditional irruption staging areas
During irruption years, check eBird alerts for recent Chicago-area Pine Grosbeak sightings, as birds often remain in productive feeding areas for extended periods.
Prime locations include neighborhoods with abundant fruiting trees, the Chicago Botanic Garden’s ornamental plantings, and suburban areas with mature landscaping.
Pine Grosbeaks feed primarily on buds, seeds, and fruits, showing particular fondness for ash keys, maple buds, and various berries. They often feed in small flocks ranging from 3-10 individuals, moving methodically through fruiting trees while maintaining vocal contact with soft call notes.
8. Common Redpoll
Common Redpolls visit Chicago irregularly during winter months, bringing touches of pink to the season’s palette during years when Arctic food supplies diminish.
Male Common Redpolls display crimson caps (“polls”) on their foreheads combined with rosy-pink breasts and rumps, while heavily streaked brown plumage covers their backs and flanks. Their small size—smaller than House Finches—and tiny yellow bills create a distinctive appearance.
Female redpolls share the characteristic red forehead cap but lack the pink breast coloring of males, instead showing heavier streaking across their underparts. Both sexes display black chins, forked tails, and wing bars that aid identification when observing active feeding flocks.
These hyperactive little finches constantly chatter while feeding, creating noisy flocks that move rapidly between food sources. Common Redpolls show remarkable cold tolerance, regularly surviving temperatures of -40°F in their Arctic breeding grounds through specialized physiological adaptations.
Key Insight: Common Redpolls possess a specialized esophageal diverticulum that allows them to store seeds for later processing, enabling them to quickly gather food during brief Arctic daylight periods and digest it while roosting.
In Chicago, Common Redpolls appear most frequently during major irruption winters when northern birch and alder seed crops fail. These movements typically occur from December through March, with peak numbers in January and February. Flocks range from small groups of 5-10 birds to occasionally hundreds during exceptional flights.
Identifying Common Redpolls:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Size | Very small (4.5-5.5 inches) |
| Crown | Bright red forehead cap |
| Chin | Small black bib |
| Breast | Males show variable pink; females lack pink |
| Streaking | Heavy brown streaking on back and flanks |
| Bill | Tiny, sharp, yellow |
| Call | Rattling “chit-chit-chit-chit” given constantly |
Redpolls feed primarily on small seeds, particularly favoring birch, alder, and grass seeds that remain available on plants throughout winter. In Chicago, watch for feeding flocks in weedy fields, parks with birch trees, and backyard feeders offering nyjer seed or fine sunflower chips.
During feeding, redpolls hang acrobatically from seed heads and branch tips, sometimes hovering briefly to access seeds. Their constant motion and chattering make flocks easy to detect once you learn their characteristic “chit-chit-chit” flight calls.
Common Mistake: Observers sometimes confuse Common Redpolls with Pine Siskins, another small streaky finch. Redpolls always show the distinctive red forehead cap and black chin patch that Pine Siskins lack, along with less yellow in their plumage.
Prime redpoll habitat in Chicago includes weedy vacant lots, prairie restorations with standing seed heads, and residential areas with birch or alder trees. Once located, flocks often remain in productive areas for days or weeks, providing repeated viewing opportunities throughout the winter season.
9. White-winged Crossbill
White-winged Crossbills represent Chicago’s rarest red bird, appearing only during exceptional winter irruptions when boreal forest conditions trigger southward movements.
Male white-winged Crossbills display rose-pink or raspberry-red plumage contrasted by black wings marked with two bold white wing bars. Like their Red Crossbill cousins, they possess uniquely crossed bill tips adapted for extracting conifer seeds.
These uncommon visitors differ from Red Crossbills through their distinctive white wing bars visible in all plumages, smaller size, and preference for different conifer species.
Female White-winged Crossbills show greenish-yellow plumage with grayish tones, always maintaining the characteristic white wing bars that make identification more straightforward than separating female Red Crossbills from other finches.
Important Note: White-winged Crossbill sightings in Chicago occur irregularly, often with multiple years passing between irruptions. When they do appear, documenting observations with photos and detailed field notes helps contribute to understanding their movement patterns.
White-winged Crossbills specialize in extracting seeds from spruce, hemlock, and larch cones, using their smaller, more delicate bills to access seed sources that larger-billed Red Crossbills cannot efficiently process. This dietary specialization means White-winged Crossbills require specific habitats with appropriate conifer species, limiting their occurrence in urban Chicago.
The species’ distinctive flight call sounds like “chif-chif-chif” or “peet-peet-peet,” higher-pitched and more delicate than Red Crossbills’ harder “jip-jip-jip” notes. Learning these vocal differences proves essential since crossbills often remain high in conifers where visual observation proves challenging.
White-winged Crossbill vs. Red Crossbill Comparison:
- Wing Bars: White-winged shows two bold white bars; Red shows none
- Size: White-winged smaller and more delicate
- Male Color: White-winged appears more pink-red; Red more brick-red
- Bill: White-winged has smaller, finer bill
- Call: White-winged gives higher “chif” notes; Red gives harder “jip” notes
- Preferred Cones: White-winged favors spruce/hemlock; Red favors pine
- Chicago Status: White-winged exceptionally rare; Red uncommon but regular
During the rare years when White-winged Crossbills reach Chicago, typically in response to widespread spruce cone failures across Canada, they may appear anywhere with suitable conifers from December through March. Morton Arboretum’s conifer collections, the Chicago Botanic Garden’s spruce groves, and lakefront parks with ornamental conifers offer the best detection opportunities.
Like other irruptive species, White-winged Crossbills wander nomadically in search of cone crops, making predictions about their appearance nearly impossible. Monitoring regional birding listservs and eBird helps track irruption movements southward, providing advance notice when White-winged Crossbills approach the Chicago area.
When feeding, White-winged Crossbills exhibit the same acrobatic behavior as Red Crossbills, hanging upside-down from branch tips while expertly manipulating cones with their specialized bills. They often feed in small flocks, maintaining vocal contact with frequent call notes that help observers locate them in dense conifer foliage.
Conclusion
Chicago’s diverse red bird community offers year-round opportunities for observation, from the reliable presence of Northern Cardinals to the exciting possibility of rare crossbill irruptions.
Success in finding these species requires understanding seasonal patterns, learning distinctive calls, and visiting appropriate habitats during optimal times.
Spring migration from April through May brings the highest diversity, when resident species join migrating tanagers creating peak viewing opportunities.
Winter months offer chances for northern visitors like redpolls, grosbeaks, and crossbills during irruption years. Summer provides reliable cardinal and House Finch observations while fall migration from August through October brings tanagers through again on their southbound journeys.
Equipping yourself with quality binoculars, a field guide specific to the Chicago region, and the eBird mobile app transforms casual observation into productive birdwatching. The app allows real-time tracking of rare species reports, helping you respond quickly when unusual red birds appear in accessible locations.
Creating bird-friendly habitat in your own yard through native plantings, reliable water sources, and appropriate feeders attracts resident species while potentially drawing migrant visitors.
Cardinals and House Finches readily visit feeders offering sunflower seeds, while maintaining natural seed heads and berry-producing shrubs benefits winter finches and grosbeaks.
Whether you’re scanning downtown parks during spring migration, exploring forest preserves searching for breeding tanagers, or monitoring feeders hoping for winter rarities, Chicago’s red birds reward patient observation with beauty, fascinating behaviors, and the constant possibility of unexpected discoveries.
Each outing builds identification skills while connecting you more deeply with the natural cycles playing out across the city’s diverse habitats throughout the year.
