It’s important to look for specific features that are endemic to one species and not another. When you look at a Northern cardinal, you’ll know that it’s a red bird (at least the male bird is red all over). However, the female bird is different shades of brown and gray but still has the distinctive short orange beak.

Cardinals are among the most widespread backyard birds in North America. They are easily recognized by their bright red plumage, but did you know that there are other birds that look like cardinals? In this complete guide, we will show you 17 birds that look like cardinals, with photos and identification tips.

Bird Looks Like A Cardinal But Is Brown. One might wonder, what is the brown bird that looks like a cardinal? The answer is the female Northern Cardinal. While male cardinals are bright pink, girls are a warm brown with hints of pink on the wings, tail, and crest.

What Bird Looks Like a Brown Cardinal? Pyrrhuloxia has brown bodies with red, crested heads. What Bird Looks Like a Cardinal Without the Crest? Several red birds don’t have crested heads. You could be looking for the scarlet tanager, summer tanager, red crossbill, or pine grosbeak. What Bird Sounds Like a Cardinal?

Female Pyrrhuloxias in particular look a lot like their female Northern Cardinal counterpart. Both birds are dull brown and gray and have red in their crest, wings and tail. However, female Pyrrhuloxias don’t have any black on their face, and have a yellowish beak. Like Northern Cardinals, Pyrrhuloxias forage on and near the ground for seeds ...