Red-crested Cardinal Gallery

Paroaria coronata

The Birds of the World website introduces the Red-crested Cardinal with this descriptive information:  Red-crested Cardinal gets its common name from its red head and prominent crest. Native to northern Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay,  Red-crested Cardinal has been introduced to various regions of the world including Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Mainly a seed eater, Red-crested Cardinal generally searches for seeds and small arthropods on or near the ground. Red-crested Cardinal’s natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and heavily degraded former forest.

I met my first Red-crested Cardinal on the morning of Tuesday, August 23, 2023.  Our Jeff Parker Tour group was staying at Southwild’s Santa Tereza Lodge and I watched this beautiful little bird as it perched near its nest in a tree close to the lodge.  Over the next couple of days I saw several of these striking birds.  They were not nearly as numerous as the smaller Yellow-billed Cardinal.  For details of my Brazilian trip that include the sighting of this bird, look here.  Below are a couple of my photos of this striking little bird.