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salmon orange Northern Red Cardinal? (1 Viewer)

marcincon

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in New England (Massachusetts) I saw outside my window a huge bird that I thought was a Northern Red Cardinal but the color was a salmon light orange or peach color. Would this be an old bird? There was definitely a pointed head crest and the cone bill was a bright yellow. Have never seen this type of bird before. I wasn't able to get a photo of it for it flew away too fast. Hope to next time. I found a picture of a summer tanager but it was missing the pointed head crest . Any ideas what this bird may be? http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/692/identification/Northern_Cardinal.aspx
 
Take a look at the female cardinal. I think you might have your answer after that.
Looks like this is your first post...so Welcome to BF!
 
salmon oragne color Red Cardinal?

thank you for the welcome
Yes I'm familiar with the female bird and have seen only the tan color ones but this particular bird was more orange or salmon color. I've searched online for photos and haven't come across one yet. Maybe it's just a different type breed? thanks again.

(after posting this I saw another posting explaining the color change) http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=80401
 
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We've got one, also!

in New England (Massachusetts) I saw outside my window a huge bird that I thought was a Northern Red Cardinal but the color was a salmon light orange or peach color. Would this be an old bird? There was definitely a pointed head crest and the cone bill was a bright yellow. Have never seen this type of bird before. I wasn't able to get a photo of it for it flew away too fast. Hope to next time. I found a picture of a summer tanager but it was missing the pointed head crest . Any ideas what this bird may be? http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/692/identification/Northern_Cardinal.aspx

It's clearly a cardinal, but is not a female. He's truly the color of salmon fish flesh, uniformly.............all over. A friend went to a bird talk in Cambridge, MA and said that there had been some plumage color (not sure what birds experienced this) because of birds eating some kind of Asian berries that have been part of an invasive plant problem..........he is not as red as this photo appears, looks healthy and does not seem to be partnered that we can tell.
 

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Brooklyn Orange Cardinal Siting

I watch an orange cardinal on June 3rd 2009 in NYC Brooklyn. I am posting on this thread because I like the Asian berry theory the most. That said I saw similar characteristics from other explanations. The bird was large and plump and a little tattered with a very big crown. As if it were and old bird. Definitely male with the color so strikingly different I had to check and see if it really was a cardinal

I can't dispute some of the other theories and I am not a bird expert, but being in NYC plant and insect infestations from Asia do originate in places like this and Boston.
 
Orange/Salmon Cardinal here too!

Hi all - My husband told me the other morning he had seen a cardinal that really looked orange to him...I didn't pay too much attention - he's not usually too accurate about color lol! Then I saw this beauty myself! Definately orangey-salmon and NOT RED. By the way - this one has a mate with him too. She actually seems a bit brighter than the usual female to me. When she takes off you see quite a bit of color! I will try to get some pictures. They have been here (Eastern Long Island) for several days now and I am hoping for a "full season summer rental" at least if not permanent residence! Their call also sound the same to my ear as any cardinal. But I am not really a bird watcher per se, just an interested bystander. Will try to get you all the photos later today. Just as an aside - don't know if anyone posted it to this site yet, but I ran into a local birder while buying seed about a week ago, she told me that a red-headed woodpecker has been spotted in a nest in Manorville, NY - they havent been here on the island in many, many years! I'm hoping to go check him out soon.
 
Brooklyn Orange Cardinal Again

On 6-30-09 I spotted the same orange cardinal and took a picture this time. Funny thing is I see it a lot now because I called it back.

A mocking bird has been making noise day and night and it struck me this morning I could teach it to sing like a cardinal by playing the cardinal song off the web. It didn't take long, before the mocking bird was singing a different tune. By no means as satisfying or so beautiful as seeing that orange cardinal, but very amusing.

Then by the afternoon I heard the cardinal song. But it was more distinct and repeating. The orange cardinal had come back. It doesn't have a mate that I have seen, but could be nesting a couple blocks away the male had come to defend its territory only to find a mocking bird.
 

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Several years ago on a day of birding in northern NJ with a friend, we saw many, many cardinals. I was amazed by the number we saw and the wide variation in color, some most definitely a salmon orange/red.
 
We have many orange cardinals here where we live. Glad I found this forum for an explaination. We couldn't figure out what we were seeing because we have had the beautiful red ones too. And last year we were watching a red parent teaching the little ones how to fly on our deck and the little ones are bright red like the parent.
 
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We have many orange cardinals here where we live. Glad I found this forum for an explaination. We couldn't figure out what we were seeing because we have had the beautiful red ones too. And last year we were watching a red parent teaching the little ones how to fly on our deck and the little ones are bright red like the parent.

Hi Art G.

Welcome to Bird Forum!

Bob
 
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