Pyrrhuloxia
Cardinalis sinuatus

f4 @ 1/8000s, ISO:1250, Nikon D3S w 500mm

\"Pyrrhuloxia,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The pyrrhuloxia or desert cardinal is a medium-sized North American song bird found in the American southwest and northern Mexico. This distinctive species with a short, stout bill, red crest and wings, closely resembles the northern and the vermilion cardinals which are in the same genus. The most obvious differences between the male desert cardinal and the northern cardinal are in their coloring. The desert cardinal is predominantly brownish-gray with a red breast, a red mask, and a yellow parrot-like bill that is stout and rounded. The females of the two species resemble each other much more closely, but the shapes of their bills are diagnostic. The songs of the two species are identical, though the pyrrhuloxia\'s is not quite as loud. This cardinal retains the distinctive long pointed red crest present in all species.

Laguna Seca Ranch, Edinburg, Texas

01/22/2016