Immature male northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, also known as the redbird or the common cardinal, photographed at Newton Hills State Park, South Dakota, USA.
Image: Terry Sohl, 1 October 2010 [velociraptorize].
Canon 50D, 400 5.6L lens
Question: This North American mystery bird's range overlaps with another species that looks quite similar. Can you name this species, its "twin" and tell me how you can distinguish this species from its "twin"?
Response: This is an immature male Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, in moult. This species' range overlaps with that of the pyrrhuloxia, C. sinuatus.
Female and immature Northern cardinals are rather plain when compared to the more striking pyrrhuloxia. The pyrrhuloxia has a shorter, more sharply curved yellow bill, a red eye-ring, gray head and neck, and a red wash on throat and underparts.
You are invited to review all of the daily mystery birds by going to their dedicated graphic index page.
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