Stories - Ask About Birds

Red Birds in Maryland: Cardinal, Tanager, Finch, and the Winter Arrivals Maryland sits in the heart of the Atlantic Flyway, and its red birds span every season: the cardinal at the feeder all year, the Scarlet Tanager burning through the oak canopy in May, and irruptive finches arriving only when the boreal forests fail. Here is when and where to find each one.

Red Birds in Massachusetts: Cardinal, Tanager, Finches, and the Winter Irruptives Massachusetts has a cardinal at every feeder and a Scarlet Tanager hidden in its oaks.

Red Birds in Michigan: Cardinal, Tanager, Finch, and the Boreal Irruptives Michigan's red birds run from the cardinal at the feeder on a January morning to a Scarlet Tanager burning in the oak canopy in May - and in the right winter, an irruption of redpolls that turns a birch stand pink.

Red Birds in Wyoming Wyoming's red birds are mountain specialists. Red Crossbills, Cassin's Finches, and Pine Grosbeaks live where most birders don't look - high in the conifers.

Red Birds in Wisconsin Wisconsin's red birds divide by latitude: cardinals hold the south all year, while crossbills and Pine Grosbeaks only come when the boreal cone crop fails.

Red Birds in West Virginia West Virginia's Appalachian forests hold more red-plumaged species than most eastern states, from year-round cardinals to summer tanagers at elevation.

Red Birds in Washington State Washington's Cascade Range divides red-bird country in two. Here are the species on each side and why the divide matters more than you'd expect.

Red Birds in Virginia Virginia's red birds span four distinct ecosystems - from the Blue Ridge to the Chesapeake coast.

Red Birds in Vermont Vermont's red birds split into two ecologies: lowland yard birds like the cardinal and the birds of the boreal zone above 2,000 feet.

Red Birds in Utah Utah's red birds divide by elevation. House Finches own the desert, Cassin's Finches the mountain belt, and Red Crossbills are nomads that may not stay.

Red Birds in Texas Texas has more red-plumaged birds than almost any other state. The interesting part: their red comes from four entirely different biological sources.

Red Birds in Tennessee: Cardinal, Tanager, and Finch Tennessee hosts three entirely red songbirds in a single breeding season. Here is how to tell them apart and where each one lives.

Red Birds in South Dakota South Dakota divides neatly into two bird worlds: the cardinal-and-finch east and the crossbill-and-grosbeak Black Hills west. Here are the red birds in each.

Red Birds in South Carolina South Carolina holds four genuinely red birds, and which ones you see depends almost entirely on where in the state you stand. A field guide to finding them.

Red Birds in Rhode Island Rhode Island holds ten red-plumaged species, but only one arrives from South America every May looking like a bird from the wrong hemisphere.

Red Birds in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania holds 11 red-plumaged species. Knowing which elevation each inhabits tells you more than any checklist can about where to look and why.

Red Birds in Oregon Oregon's Cascades split the state into two birding worlds. This guide covers every red-plumaged species, from crossbills to sapsuckers, and where to find them.

Red Birds in Oklahoma Oklahoma holds three genuinely red bird species: a year-round resident, a summer breeder, and a vivid western outlier. Here is how to tell them apart.

Red Birds in Ohio: Cardinal, Tanager, and the Others Ohio's red birds range from the cardinal at your feeder to the Scarlet Tanager hidden in the oak canopy. Here is who they are and when to find them.

Red Birds in North Dakota North Dakota hosts red birds across every season - from year-round House Finches to irruptive winter redpolls and the cardinal pushing its range northwest.

Red Birds in North Carolina North Carolina has more red bird species than most eastern states. The cardinal is year-round, the tanagers split by elevation, the finches swap by season.

Red Birds in North America North America's red birds span 10+ species, from cardinals to crossbills. Here is how their colour works, where to find each one, and how to tell them apart.

Red Birds in New York New York has five reliable red-plumaged species. Two define the state's birding year: one arrives in May and leaves by October, one never leaves.

Red Birds in New Mexico New Mexico's desert-to-alpine elevation lets you watch a Pyrrhuloxia at dawn and a Painted Redstart by noon. Here are the red birds and where to find them.

Red Birds in New Jersey New Jersey hosts four regularly occurring red birds, each tied to a different habitat and season. Here is how to find and identify them.

Red Birds in New Hampshire New Hampshire has more red birds than most birders expect - from spruce-fir crossbills at 4,000 feet to cardinals creeping north into southern suburbs.

Red Birds in Nevada Nevada is the driest state in the US, but its desert springs and mountain forests hold nine red-plumaged species - if you know where water is.

Red Birds in Nebraska Nebraska hosts four distinct red-bird stories: resident Cardinals, migrant tanagers, roving crossbills, and House Finches from two directions.

Red Birds in Montana Montana's red birds live mostly in the mountains. The Red Crossbill's crossed bill is the best argument for why elevation shapes everything about what you find up there.

Red Birds in Missouri Missouri hosts four distinctly red bird species across its oak forests and backyards. Here is how to tell them apart and when to find each one.

Red Birds in Mississippi Mississippi stacks red birds unusually well - year-round cardinals, breeding Painted Buntings, and Summer Tanagers in the pine-oak woodlands.

Red Birds in Minnesota Minnesota hosts red birds from three ecological worlds: boreal forest, mature hardwood, and suburb. Which ones you see depends entirely on where you stand.

Red Birds in Maine Maine's red birds divide into two camps: the nomads tied to spruce cones and the residents tied to berry shrubs. Knowing which is which changes what you see.

Red Birds in Louisiana Louisiana holds five red-plumaged birds across four seasons: a year-round cardinal, a breeding tanager, two spring migrants, and a winter finch.

Red Birds in Kentucky Kentucky has three genuinely red breeding birds and they barely share a habitat. Here is how to tell them apart and where in the state to find each one.

Red Birds in Kansas Kansas sits where eastern woodland meets open prairie, and that boundary is exactly where its red birds concentrate - from year-round cardinals to summer tanagers and breeding Painted Buntings.

Red Birds in Iowa Iowa has five genuinely red birds, but four of them will not come to your feeder. Here is where to find each one, and what season to look.

Red Birds in Indiana Indiana's red birds range from the cardinal at every feeder to the Scarlet Tanager hidden in old-growth oak. Knowing where to look changes what you see.

Red Birds in Illinois Illinois has 11 red-plumaged species, from the ubiquitous cardinal to the Scarlet Tanager nesting unseen in the oak canopy above Shawnee.

Red Birds in Idaho Idaho's mountain forests hold Red Crossbills year-round, but the bird you see today may be gone by October. Here is why, and what else turns red in Idaho.

Red Birds in Hawaii: Two Stories, Two Altitudes Hawaii's red birds split into two stories: native honeycreepers clinging to high-altitude forest, and introduced birds thriving in the lowlands they vacated.

Red Birds in Georgia: Cardinal, Tanager, and Bunting Across Three Zones Georgia spans mountains to coast, and its red birds sort themselves by zone: cardinal statewide, two tanager species by elevation, Painted Bunting on the barrier islands.

Red Birds in Florida: Four Species Worth Knowing Florida holds red birds year-round - from the ubiquitous Northern Cardinal to the harder-to-find Painted Bunting. Here are the four species worth knowing.

Red Birds in Delaware Delaware's eight red bird species span two tanager habitats, year-round cardinals, and a seasonal hummingbird whose throat patch earns a second look.

Red Birds in Connecticut: Four Species, Three Very Different Stories Connecticut has four genuinely red birds. One arrived less than a century ago. One hides in the oak canopy all summer. Each has a different story.

Red Birds in Colorado Colorado stacks its red birds by elevation: House Finches below 6,000 feet, Cassin's Finches in the pines, Red Crossbills at the lodgepole belt.

Red Birds in California: Four Species, Four Shades of Red California's four main red birds each earn their colour differently - diet, elevation, and latitude all shape the shade. A field guide to telling them apart.

Red Birds in Arkansas: A Field Guide to the Species Worth Knowing Arkansas holds more red-plumaged species than most states. Here is how to separate them, when to find them, and where the distinctions actually matter.

Red Birds in Arizona Arizona's collision of desert and mountain biomes produces red birds found nowhere else in the US.

Red Birds in Alaska Alaska has five red-plumaged birds that stay through winter. Here is what they are, where to find them, and why they are built for the cold.

Red Birds in Alabama Alabama hosts four genuinely red birds, each producing that colour through a different biological route. Here is what separates them and where to find each one.

Orange Birds in Wyoming Wyoming's orange birds range from the flame-headed Western Tanager of the Rockies to the canyon-haunting Say's Phoebe.

Orange Birds in Wisconsin Wisconsin's orange birds range from the Baltimore Oriole in every backyard elm to the state bird itself. A field guide to who's who and when to look.

Orange Birds in West Virginia West Virginia's Appalachian forests hold the only warbler in North America with a blazing orange throat, plus orioles and a redstart in full flame.

Orange Birds in Washington State Washington's Cascades split the state into two orange-bird worlds: Varied Thrushes in the rainforest, Bullock's Orioles in the eastern cottonwoods.

Orange Birds in Virginia: The Six Species Worth Knowing Six orange-plumaged birds visit or live in Virginia, from the year-round American Robin to the flame-throated Blackburnian Warbler in the Appalachian hemlocks.

Orange Birds in Vermont Vermont hosts four distinctly orange breeding birds, from the Baltimore Oriole of open river groves to the Blackburnian Warbler burning in the spruce canopy.

Orange Birds in Utah: Orioles, Tanagers, and the Altitude Gradient Utah's orange birds sort by elevation. Bullock's Orioles hold the cottonwood bottoms, Western Tanagers own the high conifers, and robins bridge the gap year-round.

Orange birds in Texas: a field guide by region and season Texas holds the only US population of Altamira Oriole and draws six oriole species each year. Here are the orange birds to look for, by region and season.

Orange Birds in Tennessee Tennessee's orange birds range from the chestnut Orchard Oriole nesting in every county to the Blackburnian Warbler's flaming throat high in the Smokies.

Orange Birds in South Dakota South Dakota's orange birds split along a geologic line. Western Tanagers own the Black Hills pines; Baltimore Orioles work the east.

Orange Birds in South Carolina South Carolina's coastal lowcountry holds the densest Painted Bunting breeding population on the Atlantic coast. Here is what orange birds to expect and when.

Orange Birds in Rhode Island Nine orange-plumaged birds visit or breed in Rhode Island, from the Baltimore Oriole in May to the American Robin year-round. Here is what to look for and when.

Orange Birds in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania hosts six species with genuine orange plumage, from the Baltimore Oriole's flame-orange breast to the Blackburnian Warbler's fire-orange throat in hemlock forest.

Orange Birds in Oregon: Four Species Worth Knowing Oregon's orange birds are sorted by habitat, not season. The tanager owns the high conifers, the oriole owns the cottonwoods, and only one of them stays all year.

Orange Birds in Oklahoma Oklahoma sits where the Baltimore Oriole's eastern range meets the Bullock's Oriole's western range. Here are the orange birds you can expect, and when.

Orange Birds in Ohio Ohio sits on two major migration routes. In May, its Lake Erie shoreline concentrates more orange birds per square mile than almost anywhere in North America.

Orange Birds in North Dakota Three oriole species, the American Robin, and the Northern Flicker bring orange to North Dakota. Here is where each fits and when to look.

Orange Birds in North Carolina North Carolina's three regions each carry different orange birds - a blaze-orange warbler in high spruce, two orioles in river valleys, towhees everywhere.

Orange Birds in North America North America's orange birds span orioles, tanagers, hummingbirds, and more.

Orange Birds in New York Baltimore Orioles, Blackburnian Warblers, and Orchard Orioles all pass through New York each May. Here is who arrives when, and where to find them.

Orange Birds in New Mexico New Mexico's Rio Grande bosques and mountain forests hold five distinct orange-plumaged species. Here's who they are, where they appear, and when.

Orange Birds in New Jersey: Eight Species Worth Knowing New Jersey hosts eight orange-plumaged birds, from the flame-orange Baltimore Oriole to the subtler Eastern Towhee. Here is when and where to find each one.

Orange Birds in New Hampshire New Hampshire hosts four orange birds, from lawn robins to fiery Blackburnian Warblers in the White Mountains spruce belt. Where to find each one.

Orange Birds in Nevada Nevada's desert oases funnel Bullock's Orioles, Western Tanagers, and eight more orange species through a handful of cottonwood corridors.

Orange Birds in Nebraska Nebraska sits at the seam where eastern and western orioles meet and interbreed. Here is what that means for every orange bird in the state.

Orange Birds in Montana Montana's conifer forests and cottonwood rivers host nine orange-plumaged species, but one - the Western Tanager - earns a trip on its own.

Orange birds in Missouri Missouri holds two breeding orioles, the American Robin, and the American Redstart. When each arrives, what it looks like, and where to find it.

Orange Birds in Mississippi Mississippi hosts Summer Tanagers, Baltimore Orioles, and Painted Buntings. The pine-oak woodlands are the real story, not just the famous Gulf Coast.

Orange Birds in Minnesota Six orange-plumaged birds breed or pass through Minnesota regularly. Here is how to tell them apart and where each one actually lives in the state.

Orange birds in Michigan: six species worth knowing Michigan's six most reliably seen orange birds, from the state's brick-chested emblem to a warbler with the only orange throat in North America.

Orange birds in Massachusetts Seven orange-plumaged birds visit or breed in Massachusetts, from the flame-orange Baltimore Oriole to the flicker whose color hides until it flies.

Orange Birds in Maryland Maryland's state bird wears the colours of a seventeenth-century coat of arms.

The orange birds of Maine and the brief window to find them Maine's orange birds arrive on a tight schedule. Baltimore Orioles reach the state mid-May and some begin leaving by July. Here is how to find them in time.

Orange birds in Louisiana Louisiana sits at the end of the Gulf crossing. The orange birds you find here - orioles, tanagers, warblers - earned their colours getting here.

Orange Birds in Kentucky Kentucky sits where Appalachian forest meets the Interior Lowlands, which is why it holds both tanager species and two orioles in the same county.

Orange birds in Kansas Kansas sits where two oriole ranges collide and hybridize. Here are the orange birds to find, when they arrive, and what the overlap means for birders.

Orange Birds in Iowa Iowa's orange birds range from the flame-black Baltimore Oriole to the subtler Orchard Oriole and year-round robin. A field guide to finding them.

Orange birds in Indiana: five species worth knowing Five orange-plumaged birds breed in or pass through Indiana each year, from two oriole species to the American Redstart. Here is how to tell them apart.

Orange Birds in Illinois Illinois orange birds split into two groups: the residents that chose the state's river corridors, and the migrants that stop only because the flyway leaves them no choice.

Orange Birds in Idaho Idaho's orange birds arrive in May and leave by August. Here's how to tell the Western Tanager, Bullock's Oriole, and Black-headed Grosbeak apart.

Orange Birds in Hawaii Hawaii's orange birds are among the rarest on Earth. The Iiwi's story is not about rarity for its own sake - it is about altitude running out.

Orange Birds in Georgia From nesting Blackburnian Warblers in the Blue Ridge to year-round towhees, Georgia's orange birds cover five families. Here's who they are.

Orange Birds in Florida: The Accidental Colonist and Its Seasonal Companions Florida's orange birds range from a permanent tropical colonist in three SE counties to autumn warbler migrants. Here's which species, where, and when.

Orange Birds in Delaware Ten orange-plumaged birds visit Delaware's marshes and forests, but the Baltimore Oriole is the one worth timing your calendar around.

Orange Birds in Connecticut Nine orange-plumaged birds visit Connecticut year-round. The Baltimore Oriole is the headliner, but the full list rewards a closer look at any season.

Orange Birds in Colorado Colorado's orange birds span three distinct habitats: cottonwood river corridors, montane conifer forests, and alpine meadows.

Orange birds in California: a field calendar California's orange birds arrive and depart on a reliable schedule. Know when to look and you'll find six distinct species across coast, valley, and mountain.

Orange Birds in Arkansas Arkansas sits at the front edge of the spring oriole migration. Which orange birds arrive, when, and how the Ozarks and the Delta divide them.

Orange Birds in Arizona Five orange birds you can find in Arizona, from the flame-faced Bullock's Oriole in cottonwood groves to the year-round Vermilion Flycatcher at desert streams.

Orange birds in Alaska Two orange birds define Alaska: the copper Rufous Hummingbird, record holder for longest hummingbird migration, and the Varied Thrush of old spruce forest.

Orange Birds in Alabama Alabama hosts orange-toned birds in every season. Here is which species to expect, when to look, and what their colour actually costs them.

Field notes from the feeder.

Identification 22

Biology & behaviour 95

Backyard & feeding 26

Pet birds 31

Birds by state 102

Gifts & decor 7