Red-headed birds: 14 native species

Red-headed birds is extremely distinctive. Some species that are native to us and have reddish markings on their heads are presented here.

Types from A - E

Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta)
Family: Grouse

• slightly larger than a partridge, white wings; Upper side of the male in splendid dress is dark, red flaps of skin over the eyes; Females yellowish-brown with dark markings, no red head
• Food: berries, shoots, buds, insects for the young
• Breeding: May to July, one brood, ground brooders between rocks, well camouflaged nest
• Occurrence: richly structured landscapes above the tree line, mainly in the Alps

Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)
Family: Spinte

• Strikingly colorful, head reddish brown, throat whitish yellow, belly blue, beak long, black eye stripe
• Food: named bees, bumblebees, wasps, hornets, but also other larger insects
• Brood: May to July, one brood, nests on steep slopes, builds long tubes with a nest chamber at the end
• Occurrence: warm areas with varied landscapes and steep slopes, breeding birds in southern Europe and rarely in southern Germany

European siskin (Carduelis flammea)
Family: finch birds

• smaller than a sparrow, plumage brownish or grayish striped, deep red vertex; Males with reddish breasts
• Food: seeds, insects, nuts, tallow (at feeding places)
• Breeding: May to July, two broods, nest in bushes and trees made of brushwood, moss and stalks
• Occurrence: in the coniferous forest, around the tree line, in the low mountain range, moorland, alder and willow trees, coniferous trees in the lowlands

Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix)
Family: Grouse

• Males blue-black, tail feathers bent outwards are set up in a fan shape for courtship, red, featherless spots over the eyes; Females clearly smaller and with a brownish camouflage color, no red head
• Food: buds, shoots, berries, insects
• Breeding: April to June, one brood, ground brooders in dense vegetation
• Occurrence: moorland and heathland, light forests, rare

Blood fly (Carduelis cannabina)
Family: finch birds

• Males in splendid plumage with a conspicuous red crown and red breast, simple plumage less conspicuous without red; Females striped brown, no red head
• Diet: seeds, insects
• Breeding: April to August, two broods, nests in several pairs at low heights in bushes and trees
• Occurrence: open cultural landscapes with hedges and low trees, cemeteries, vineyards, parks and gardens, outside of the breeding season in larger swarms, on the outskirts of settlements

Types of F - O

Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Family: bald-footed chickens

• Basic color of males and females spotted brown; Males with blue-green head, red face mask particularly conspicuous in the mating season; Females inconspicuous, no red head
• Food: seeds, cereals, fruits, berries, worms, snails, insects
• Breeding: April to June, one brood, ground breeder, nest well hidden
• Occurrence: structurally rich landscapes, forest edges, wetlands

Note: The pheasant originally comes from Asia and was naturalized in Europe for hunting purposes.

Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)
Family: finch birds

• typical are the crossed beak and forked tail, males with brick-red markings on the head, basic color rust-brown; Females olive green, without red
• Food: spruce seeds, flowers and buds of deciduous trees
• Breeding: all year round, often December to May, one or two broods, broods in spruce, nests made of brushwood, moss and lichen
• Occurrence: coniferous forest up to the tree line

Carrion Pickle (Carpodacus erythrinus)
Family: finch birds

• Males with crimson markings on head, throat and chest, otherwise gray; Females brownish, no red head
• Food: insects, their larvae, buds, shoots, berries and seeds
• Breeding: May to July, one brood, nest at low altitude in bushes or young trees, made of stalks, grasses, fine roots and hair
• Occurrence: wetlands rich in bushes, willow and alder stands, sparse forests rich in herbs, parks

Types of P - R

Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Family: swallows

• Slender, dark top, red throat and forehead, white belly, forked tail
• Food: small flying insects
• Breeding: May to August, two to three broods, nests in buildings, often stables or barns, in a bowl-shaped nest Clay and stalks on walls under the ceiling, nests are often reused and must therefore not be removed will
• Occurrence: in villages and individual farms, common everywhere, but still declining

European robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Family: chokes

• small, rounded, orange-red chest and forehead, large, dark eyes, otherwise brownish
• Food: insects, snails, worms, berries, fruits
• Breeding: April to July, two broods, ground brooders in dense vegetation, bowl nest made of leaves, grass, moss, also uses ground-level hollows and low nesting boxes
• Occurrence: deciduous and mixed forest with dense undergrowth, parks, gardens

Red headed shrike (Lanius senator)
Family: Strangler

• Top of head brown-red, belly and throat white, wings and forehead black; Females a little paler
• Food: beetles, bumblebees, other large insects
• Brood: May to July, a brood, likes to nest in apple or pear trees (orchards), nest made of brushwood, stalks and roots
• Occurrence: open landscapes with suitable breeding trees, mainly southern Germany

Types from S - Z

Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)
Family: waxwings

• orange-brownish, top of head orange-red, black blindfold and wing markings, belly lighter, erectable feather hood
• Food: insects during the breeding season, otherwise berries of mountain ash, snowball and hawthorn, fruit
• Breeding: breeds exclusively in northern Scandinavia and northern Russia
• Occurrence: with us wintering guest, very sociable

Family woodpeckers (Picidae)

• Gray and green woodpecker: basic color green-gray, the top of the head, especially in the male green woodpecker, is bright red
• Black woodpecker: mainly black, red "headstock"
• all other native species with red features on the head: plumage black and white spotted or striped, belly often lighter to whitish, under-tail-coverts sometimes bright red
• Food: wood-dwelling insects and their larvae, young birds, eggs, fruits, nuts, tallow (at feeding places), berries, ants and their pupae, snails, worms
• Breeding: March to July, a brood, cave breeders, carve breeding caves in diseased trees or take over abandoned caves
• Occurrence: deciduous and mixed forests, gardens, parks, orchards, cemeteries, mostly old trees necessary for breeding
• Species: Gray Woodpecker (P. canus), green woodpecker (P. viridis), black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos), great spotted woodpecker (D. major), blood woodpecker (D. syriacus), middle woodpecker (D. medius), small woodpecker (D. minor)

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Family: finch birds

• strikingly colorful, with black, yellow, white and red, especially on the head and the wings, basic color brown
• Diet: mainly seeds of thistles, small insects during the breeding season and other seeds
• Breeding: May to August, two broods, broods in the forks of deciduous trees
• Occurrence: parks, orchards, hedgerows, villages with old trees, partly overwintered in large groups in Germany

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