The Pyrrhuloxia is a song bird closely related to Northern Cardinals. In fact, female Northern Cardinals look very similar to both male and female Pyrrhuloxia with their crest and coloring. The main distinguishing feature is the bill, more yellow and more parrot-like than that of the Northern Cardinal. They thrive in the hot arid deserts of the Southwest United States and into Mexico. This female Pyrrhuloxia perches in the heat of South Texas, panting a bit.
