Picture this: you’re sipping your morning coffee when a flash of brilliant crimson catches your eye at your feeder. Virginia hosts an incredible variety of red birds throughout the year, from the iconic state bird to rare winter visitors that birders travel hundreds of miles to observe.
Whether you’re scanning the treetops in Shenandoah or watching your suburban backyard, you’ll discover that identifying these scarlet species transforms ordinary moments into extraordinary wildlife encounters.
You’ll find everything you need to confidently identify 11 red birds in Virginia, understand their seasonal patterns, and create spaces that attract these vibrant visitors to your property.
1. Northern Cardinal
The Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) reigns as Virginia’s official state bird and one of the most recognizable species across the eastern United States. Males display brilliant red plumage from head to tail, complemented by a distinctive black face mask surrounding their thick orange bill.
You’ll notice their prominent crest standing tall atop their head, giving them an alert, regal appearance. Females present a more subtle palette of warm tan with reddish tinges on their wings, tail, and crest, but they share the male’s striking orange bill and impressive crest.
Key Insight: Both male and female cardinals sing year-round, unlike most songbirds where only males vocalize. Listen for their clear whistled melodies that sound like “birdie-birdie-birdie” or “cheer-cheer-cheer” echoing through neighborhoods and woodlands.
You’ll spot these medium-sized songbirds in shrubby areas, woodland edges, gardens, and suburban neighborhoods throughout Virginia in every season. Cardinals typically sit low in vegetation or forage on the ground, often traveling in pairs.
During breeding season, males become fiercely territorial and have been known to attack their own reflection in windows, mistaking it for a rival.
Cardinals thrive on black-oil sunflower seeds, making them frequent visitors to backyard feeders. Your best chance of attracting them involves offering platform feeders or hopper-style feeders filled with their preferred seeds.
They also enjoy safflower seeds and will forage for insects during summer months to feed their young. Dense shrubs and small trees provide essential nesting sites, so maintaining native vegetation creates ideal cardinal habitat in your yard.
2. Summer Tanager
The summer tanager (Piranga rubra) earns distinction as the only completely red bird in North America, with males displaying rose-red plumage covering their entire body without any black markings. This sets them apart from their cardinal cousins and scarlet tanager relatives.
Females wear greenish-yellow plumage, creating a striking contrast during the breeding season. First-year males present an intermediate appearance with patches of both yellow and red, making identification particularly interesting during spring migration.
These chunky, thick-billed songbirds arrive in Virginia between May and October, preferring open woodlands, mixed pine-deciduous forests, and riparian areas. Despite their brilliant coloring, summer tanagers prove surprisingly difficult to spot as they stay high in the tree canopy.
Your best strategy involves listening for their burry, robin-like song or their distinctive “picky-tuck-tuck” call note.
Pro Tip: Summer tanagers have earned the nickname “bee bird” because they specialize in hunting bees and wasps. They catch these stinging insects mid-flight, then beat them against branches to remove the stinger before consuming them.
You’ll rarely see summer tanagers at traditional seed feeders, but you can attract them by planting native fruit-bearing shrubs and trees. They favor blackberries, mulberries, raspberries, juneberries, and strawberries.
These birds also consume a wide variety of other insects including beetles, dragonflies, cicadas, and caterpillars, making them valuable natural pest controllers in Virginia’s forests and gardens.
3. Scarlet Tanager
Male scarlet tanagers (Piranga olivacea) rank among the most breathtaking birds you’ll encounter in Virginia’s forests during summer months. Their blood-red bodies contrast dramatically with jet-black wings and tail, creating an unforgettable sight against green foliage.
Females display yellowish-green bodies with darker olive wings, while juveniles resemble females. Males undergo a remarkable transformation in fall, trading their scarlet feathers for yellow-green plumage before migrating to South America.
These stocky birds prefer mature deciduous forests in Virginia’s eastern regions, particularly areas with tall canopy trees. You’ll find them breeding in the state from late April through September, though spotting them requires patience and persistence.
Scarlet tanagers stay high in the forest canopy, making them frustratingly difficult to locate despite their brilliant coloring.
Listen for their raspy, robin-like song or learn to recognize their distinctive “chick-burr” call note, which proves invaluable for finding both males and females. During spring migration, concentrating your search efforts in mature deciduous woodlands at dawn offers your best opportunity for sightings.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes that in the heart of their northeastern range, these birds can adapt to smaller forest patches, though they prefer extensive woodland tracts.
Scarlet tanagers don’t visit traditional bird feeders, but you can encourage them by planting berry-producing native plants. They’re particularly attracted to blackberries, raspberries, huckleberries, juneberries, serviceberries, mulberries, strawberries, and chokeberries.
These tanagers also feed heavily on insects during breeding season, making them beneficial allies in controlling forest pest populations.
4. House Finch
Male house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) display vibrant red coloring on their heads and chests, with brown streaks decorating their back, tail, and belly. The intensity of red coloring varies among individuals, ranging from bright crimson to orange-red, influenced by their diet during feather development.
Females wear brown plumage with heavy streaking, lacking any red coloration. Both sexes feature notched tails and conical beaks perfectly designed for cracking seeds.
Important Note: House finches are considered an introduced species in Virginia and across the eastern United States. Originally native to western North America, they were illegally released in New York during the 1940s and have since expanded their range throughout the East.
You’ll encounter these social, adaptable birds year-round in Virginia, thriving in urban areas, suburbs, parks, and residential neighborhoods. House finches often gather in small flocks and are typically the first birds to discover new feeders in your yard.
They’re comfortable around human activity and readily nest on buildings, hanging plants, and other structures near homes.
These finches eagerly visit feeders for black-oil sunflower seeds, Nyjer seed, and millet. They prefer tube feeders and platform feeders where they can perch comfortably.
House finches also forage on flower buds, fruits, and berries, particularly enjoying dandelion seeds and flowering ornamental plants. Their cheerful warbling songs add pleasant background music to Virginia neighborhoods throughout the year.
5. Purple Finch
Purple finches (Haemorhous purpureus) showcase reddish-pink plumage that resembles a raspberry wash over their head, breast, and back. Males appear more burgundy than true purple, creating a wine-stained effect across their body.
A key identification feature involves their back coloring – unlike house finches, male purple finches display red extending across their back.
Females feature prominent brown and white streaking below, with strong facial markings including a whitish eyebrow and dark line along the throat.
Common Mistake: Purple finches are frequently confused with the more abundant house finches. To distinguish them, examine the back – purple finches show red coloring on their back, while house finches have brown backs with no red.
These beautiful birds visit Virginia primarily between October and May, seeking refuge in the state’s relatively mild winter climate. You’ll spot them mainly at backyard feeders during cold months, though they prefer areas with conifer trees nearby.
Purple finches breed in Canada and the northern United States, then move south for winter, with some populations remaining year-round in northeastern states and along the Pacific coast.
Your best strategy for attracting purple finches involves offering black-oil sunflower seeds in tube feeders or hopper feeders. They also enjoy Nyjer seed and will visit platform feeders.
Having conifer trees like pines, spruces, or firs in your yard significantly increases your chances of hosting these winter visitors, as they use these trees for shelter and roosting. Males sing rich, musical warbles that brighten winter days across Virginia.
6. Red-headed Woodpecker
The red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) stands out with its completely crimson head and neck, creating a striking hood effect. Their bold black body and wings contrast dramatically against pure white underparts and white wing patches visible during flight.
This distinctive pattern has earned them the affectionate nickname “flying checkerboard” among birders. Both males and females display identical plumage, making them easy to identify regardless of sex.
These medium-sized woodpeckers inhabit open woodlands, forest edges, parks, and areas with scattered large trees throughout Virginia.
Unfortunately, red-headed woodpecker populations have declined by over 70% in the past 50 years, primarily due to habitat loss from the destruction of giant beech forests that produce beechnuts, one of their favorite foods.
This dramatic decline makes every sighting particularly special for Virginia birders. You’ll hear red-headed woodpeckers before spotting them in many cases. Listen for their shrill “tchur” call, which sounds similar to a red-bellied woodpecker but registers at a higher pitch without as much rolling quality.
During breeding season in May, males drum rapidly on dead trees to attract mates and establish territories. Red-headed woodpeckers exhibit opportunistic feeding behavior, consuming insects, fruits, nuts, and even occasionally raiding the nests of smaller bird species when food becomes scarce. They’re known to cache food items in tree crevices for later consumption.
You can support these declining birds by preserving dead trees (snags) on your property when safe to do so, providing both nesting cavities and foraging opportunities.
7. Red-bellied Woodpecker
The red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) features a distinctive red cap extending from the bill up and over the back of the head, continuing down the nape of the neck. Despite their name, the reddish tinge on their belly remains subtle and difficult to observe in the field.
Males display red from their bill all the way to their nape, while females show red only on the nape, with their crown colored gray. Both sexes feature striking black and white barred patterns on their back, creating a zebra-striped appearance.
Pro Tip: The name “red-bellied” often confuses beginning birders since the belly wash appears quite faint. Focus on the red cap and nape, along with the distinctive barred back pattern, for confident identification.
These robust woodpeckers thrive throughout Virginia year-round, adapting to various habitats including suburban areas, woodlands, parks, and forest edges. You’ll frequently encounter them at backyard feeders, where they’ve become increasingly common in residential settings.
Red-bellied woodpeckers excavate nest cavities in dead or dying trees, with both parents participating in the construction process.
Their diet consists primarily of insects, spiders, and other arthropods gleaned from tree bark, but they readily adapt to eating fruits, nuts, and seeds. At feeders, they enthusiastically consume suet, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and even oranges or grape jelly. Their powerful beaks enable them to drill into wood efficiently while foraging.
Listen for their rolling “churr” or “kwirr” call, which differs from the red-headed woodpecker’s sharper note.
8. Vermilion Flycatcher
The vermilion flycatcher (Pyrocephalus obscurus) represents a rare and exciting find for Virginia birders. Males display brilliant scarlet plumage on their head and underparts, contrasting with brownish-black wings and tail.
Their vibrant coloring makes them unmistakable when spotted. Females present more subdued peach-colored underparts with grayish-brown upperparts, lacking the male’s intense red coloration.
These small flycatchers prefer open areas near water sources such as streams, ponds, and wetlands in their typical southwestern range. In Virginia, vermilion flycatchers appear only as rare visitors, typically showing up during migration or as vagrants blown off course. Any sighting in the state qualifies as a noteworthy observation worth reporting to local birding organizations and eBird.
Vermilion flycatchers hunt insects by sallying from exposed perches, flying out to catch prey mid-air before returning to their lookout spot. This characteristic behavior helps identify them even when lighting conditions make color determination difficult.
They favor open habitats with scattered trees or shrubs that provide hunting perches. If you’re fortunate enough to spot a vermilion flycatcher in Virginia, document your sighting with photographs if possible and submit your observation to eBird or contact the Virginia Avian Records Committee. These rare appearances contribute valuable data to understanding the species’ range and migration patterns.
9. Common Redpoll
Common redpolls (Acanthis flammea) bring arctic charm to Virginia during rare winter visits. These small finches feature distinctive brown streaking on their sides, white wing bars, and a small but prominent red patch on their forehead.
Males display an additional rosy wash on their breast, while females lack this pink coloring. Both sexes show heavily streaked plumage and small, pointed yellow bills adapted for extracting seeds.
Key Insight: Common redpolls are highly nomadic and irruptive, meaning their winter movements depend on food availability in northern regions. In years when natural food sources fail in the Arctic and boreal regions, these finches move farther south into states like Virginia.
These energetic birds rarely visit Virginia, appearing primarily during exceptional winter conditions when food becomes scarce in their typical range. When they do arrive, you’ll most likely spot them at backyard feeders between December and March.
Common redpolls travel in flocks, often mixing with other finch species like goldfinches and siskins. They thrive on tiny seeds, showing particular fondness for Nyjer (thistle) seed and small sunflower chips. Tube feeders with small perches work well for attracting redpolls when they’re in the area.
These northern visitors also forage on seeds from birch, alder, and weeds in open fields. Their presence in Virginia depends entirely on food scarcity in their breeding range, making each sighting a special treat for local birders.
10. White-winged Crossbill
White-winged crossbills (Loxia leucoptera) appear as occasional winter visitors to Virginia, bringing their unique adaptations from northern coniferous forests. Males display rosy-red plumage with distinctive white wing bars visible on their dark wings.
Their most remarkable feature, however, involves their specialized crossed bill tips where the upper and lower mandibles don’t align but instead cross like intertwined fingers. Females wear greenish-yellow plumage with similar white wing bars and the characteristic crossed bill.
These sparrow-sized finches evolved their unusual bills specifically for extracting seeds from tightly closed conifer cones, giving them access to food sources unavailable to other birds. The crossed bill tips work like specialized tools, allowing them to pry apart cone scales and extract seeds with their tongue.
This adaptation proves so successful that crossbills feed conifer seeds even to their nestlings, unlike most songbirds that rely on insects for raising young.
White-winged crossbills remain highly nomadic, wandering wherever recent cone crops provide abundant food. In Virginia, they appear irregularly during winter months, with sightings varying dramatically from year to year. Large coniferous forests attract them when available, but they may visit residential areas with ornamental pines, spruces, or firs during irruption years.
While not common feeder visitors, white-winged crossbills occasionally eat sunflower seeds when natural food becomes limited. Your best chance of observing these fascinating birds involves monitoring spruce and pine groves during winter and listening for their distinctive flight calls – a series of sharp, metallic “peet” notes.
Males sing variable sweet warbles, adding their voices to the winter soundscape when present.
11. Pine Grosbeak
Pine grosbeaks (Pinicola enucleator) rank among the rarest red birds you might encounter in Virginia, appearing only during exceptional winter conditions. These large, stocky finches measure larger than most other finches, with males displaying rosy-red plumage on their head, back, and underparts.
Their coloring appears softer and more diffuse than the bright red of cardinals or tanagers. Females wear warm gray plumage with yellow-gold coloring on their head and rump. Both sexes feature thick, stubby bills designed for crushing seeds and buds.
Important Note: Pine grosbeaks are considered very rare in Virginia winters, with most sightings occurring during major irruption years when food failures in the far north push them into unusual southern locations.
These gentle, tame birds inhabit boreal forests across northern North America and typically winter only slightly south of their breeding range. Virginia lies far outside their normal winter distribution, making any appearance a significant event for the state’s birding community.
Pine grosbeaks move in small flocks and exhibit surprisingly approachable behavior, often allowing close observation.
When pine grosbeaks do venture into Virginia, they prefer areas with conifer trees and mountain ash. They feed on tree buds, seeds, and berries, showing particular fondness for mountain ash berries, crabapples, and seeds from pines, spruces, and firs. At feeders, they may consume sunflower seeds during their rare visits.
Their soft, musical warbling songs and gentle “tee-tee-tew” flight calls provide auditory clues to their presence.
Creating Your Red Bird Haven
Transforming your Virginia property into a magnet for red birds requires thoughtful planning and native plant selection. Start by offering high-quality black-oil sunflower seeds in multiple feeder styles – platform feeders attract cardinals and grosbeaks, while tube feeders serve finches and smaller species.
Position feeders near protective cover but maintain clear sightlines for spotting approaching predators. Native berry-producing plants provide essential food sources throughout the year. Plant blackberries, elderberries, serviceberries, and native viburnums to attract tanagers and other fruit-eating species.
Winterberry holly offers critical late-season nutrition when other food becomes scarce. These plantings serve double duty by providing both food and nesting sites for various red bird species.
Maintaining diverse habitat layers dramatically increases bird diversity. Include tall canopy trees, mid-story shrubs, and ground-level vegetation to accommodate different species’ preferences.
Cardinals nest in dense shrubs, while tanagers require tall deciduous trees. When safe, preserve dead standing trees (snags) as these provide essential foraging and nesting sites for woodpeckers.
Pro Tip: Clean water sources prove just as important as food for attracting birds. Provide a bird bath with fresh water year-round, adding a heating element during winter to prevent freezing.
Moving water from fountains or drippers attracts birds even more effectively than still water. Consider seasonal needs when planning your bird-friendly landscape. Conifer trees offer critical winter shelter for finches and other species seeking protection from harsh weather.
During breeding season, avoid pruning shrubs that may contain active nests, and reduce pesticide use to maintain healthy insect populations that feed young birds.
Best Times and Places for Spotting Red Birds
Your success spotting red birds in Virginia depends heavily on understanding seasonal patterns and habitat preferences. Northern cardinals, house finches, and red-bellied woodpeckers remain present year-round, offering consistent viewing opportunities across all seasons.
Early morning and late afternoon provide optimal observation windows when bird activity peaks and lighting conditions enhance red plumage visibility.
Spring migration from April through May brings summer tanagers and scarlet tanagers returning from their South American wintering grounds. Focus your search efforts in mature deciduous forests, particularly in protected areas like Shenandoah National Park and along the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail sites.
Dawn chorus during this period provides spectacular opportunities to locate birds by sound before spotting them visually.
Winter months from November through March offer your best chances for viewing rare northern visitors. Purple finches arrive reliably each winter, while common redpolls, white-winged crossbills, and pine grosbeaks appear only during irruption years when northern food sources fail.
Monitor local birding groups and eBird alerts to learn when these species are being reported in Virginia. Virginia’s diverse geography creates distinct birding opportunities across regions. Coastal areas around Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge host different species than mountain locations like Mount Rogers.
The Piedmont region, including parks near Richmond and Charlottesville, offers excellent year-round cardinal and woodpecker viewing. Kiptopeke State Park on the Eastern Shore provides outstanding migration observation points.
Key Insight: Joining local bird walks led by experienced naturalists accelerates your learning and increases your chances of finding target species. Organizations like the Virginia Society of Ornithology and local Audubon chapters offer regular guided outings.
Understanding Migration and Seasonal Patterns
Virginia’s position along the Atlantic Flyway makes it a crucial stopover point for migrating birds traveling between breeding grounds in North America and wintering areas in Central and South America. Summer tanagers and scarlet tanagers follow this ancient pathway, arriving in Virginia during April and May before departing in September and October.
These species exhibit strong site fidelity, often returning to the same territories year after year. The timing of red bird arrivals and departures responds to environmental cues including day length and temperature patterns. Tanagers generally arrive after leaf-out when insect populations have rebounded, ensuring adequate food for breeding.
Their departure in autumn coincides with declining insect availability and shorter days triggering migratory restlessness.
Winter brings a different cast of red-plumed visitors from northern regions. Purple finches move into Virginia seeking milder conditions and reliable food sources, while species like crossbills and redpolls appear irregularly based on food availability in boreal forests.
These irruptive species may be abundant one winter and entirely absent the next, making their appearances especially exciting for birders.
Year-round residents like cardinals and red-bellied woodpeckers adjust their behavior seasonally without undertaking migrations. Cardinals become fiercely territorial during breeding season but gather in small flocks during winter months, improving their foraging efficiency and predator detection.
Understanding these behavioral shifts helps you predict where and when to find specific species throughout the year.
Climate change has begun influencing bird distribution and timing patterns across Virginia. Some species are arriving earlier in spring or lingering later in fall than historical records indicate.
Contributing your observations to citizen science platforms like eBird helps researchers track these shifts and understand how birds respond to changing environmental conditions.
