Is There a Blue Colored Cardinal Bird?

If you spotted a blue colored bird with a head crest in your backyard, you may have wondered if it’s a blue cardinal. While there are rare examples of yellow cardinals and white cardinals with unique plumage found in nature, there is no such thing as a blue cardinal. Here’s a few of the blue and gray bird species that you most likely spotted instead.

Can a cardinal fly without tail feathers?

Blue Jay

Elena Elisseeva/Shutterstock

Loud, boisterous blue jays are larger than cardinals. But both species have a prominent crest of feathers atop their heads and regularly visit backyard bird feeders. While blue jays are expanding their range westward in recent years, in western states, also look for Steller’s jays.

Discover 11 interesting cardinal bird facts you should know.

Blue Grosbeak

Courtesy Pauline Salazar

These medium-sized songbirds are in the Cardinalidae bird family, which means they are related to cardinals. Blue grosbeaks have slight head crest, large seed-cracking beaks like cardinals, a small black eye mask and rufous colored wing bars that may appear reddish on a quick glance. This species is typically spotted in southern states during the summer breeding season.

What does a cardinal song sound like?

Tufted Titmouse

Courtesy Michelle Caccomo

These cute, small songbirds are more grayish colored than blue. But the perky head crest, black forehead and peach colored sides could make you mistake a tufted titmouse for a gray or blue cardinal. Watch for these birds at bird feeders in the eastern half of the country.

What do cardinals eat? Learn how to attract cardinals.

Pyrrhuloxia

Jeff R Clow/Getty Images

Also known as the desert cardinal, the pyrrhuloxia is another medium-sized crested bird that is primarily gray with red accents and a yellow bill. Look for these cardinal-look-alikes in the southwestern states and in Mexico.

Next, discover 9 small red bird species you might see.