Birds With Red Beaks: 22 Mesmerizing Creatures

When you think about birds with red beaks, no one will call you out for assessing the number to be significantly high.

It can be true to some extent, if you consider birds that exhibit bills with hybridized colors, one of those tones being a shade of red.

But then, can it really be the bird’s authentic trait? I personally don’t think so.

That’s why, I’ve conducted my own research to introduce you to the birds that contain beaks of red without contamination of any other colors.

While a couple of them may hold a notch at the tip or a ring at the root of the bill, almost all of them carry the shared appearance with a solid red for their beak.

So let’s not wait any more and dig in to uncover some of the most astounding birds across borders!

Unique Birds With Fully Red Beaks

Let’s begin our journey to learn identification marks as well as particular habitat zones of these remarkable birds with red beaks!

Red-Billed Parrot

Source: @avesecuador

• Scientific Name: Pionus sordidus
• Size: 27 to 29 cm (11 to 11 in)
• Locality: Parts of South America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: January to May

You’ll guess right off the name for this species that it’s one unique bird with a red beak. Red-Billed Parrot lays out six subspecies based on locality and habituation traits. The very first of its kind was identified back in 1751 and was originally named as ‘dusky parrot’ due to its color.

Recognition

This breed of parrots doesn’t flaunt punchy tones on their feathers like their cousins, rather the colorization is much dull for their kind. From the wings to the head, the washed out color supersedes the olive toned underbelly. The defining factor remains with the red beak and same-colored undertail.

Habitat

Unlike most parrots, the Red-Billed species doesn’t concentrate their habitat zone around tropical regions. Rather they’re known for perching and building nests in different types of forests, lowlands, clearings inside woods or even coffee plantations. Their ideal nesting place is inside tree cavities.

Common Tern

Source: @keijopuranen

• Scientific Name: Sterna hirundo
• Size: 31 to 35 cm (12 to 14 in)
• Locality: Temperate and subarctic Europe, Asia and North America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Summer

While there exists different types of terns, not all of them show the reddening tone on their beaks. Common Tern is one of such kinds with shared beak appearance with Inca Tern and

Caspian Tern. However, these seabirds are unique in their own nature with signifiable characteristics.

Recognition

If you look at Common Terns from the ground, you’ll only be able to make out a white bird with red feet and bill flying across like a bullet. However, if you’re fortunate enough to locate it while sitting idly, you’ll be able to make out their grayed out back and black head with slightly burnt end on their red beak.

Habitat

Since this species is spreaded across three continents, you can make a guess at their number of individuals habituating the coastal regions. Despite their love for water, they form colonies at inland locations that are situated around arctic regions. These birds show migratory traits during winter or food scarcity.

American Oystercatcher

Source: @mikedemo

• Scientific Name: Haematopus palliatus
• Size: 42 to 52 cm (17 to 20 in)
• Locality: Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the US
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: February to July

Due to their love for oysters and similar shelled sea creatures as a regular diet, this species was named accordingly by the naturalist Mark Catesby. If you catch any of them during their flight, there’s a very high chance of noticing them carrying a shelled animal between their pied bills.

Recognition

American Oystercatchers are identified by their trademark white abdomen surrounded by black and brownish feathers. Their head is completely consumed by the black, leaving out a long pair of red beaks and red-outlined yellow eyes. The legs that hold their weight are draped in baby pink.

Habitat

In North America, this species marks its territory on the Atlantic coast. It’s one of the most common birds you’ll be able to find in Florida as it ranges toward New England up north. They tend to form nests in coast-side areas like shell beaches or marshlands.

American White Ibis

Source: @flwgt071

• Scientific Name: Eudocimus albus
• Size: 53 to 70 cm (21 to 28 in)
• Locality: Coasts of southern USA to northern South America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: February to October

Most of the Ibis family consist of white birds & black beaks, but the American Ibis stands as an exception with its gorgeous red bills. Untreated wastes released into nature have seen an alteration of characteristic for this bird that ends up contributing to their rate of reproduction.

Recognition

These birds are solely characterized by their long, pointy red beaks when it comes to identification. Their feathers are snow white with black, accented edges on the wings that can only be made visible during a full flight. From underneath, you’ll be able to recognize their gray abdomen region as well.

Habitat

American Ibis are distributed across the coastal ranges from Florida to the extents of northern South America. Some tracing has been made in the Caribbean Islands as well which experts reckon occurred due to wintering conditions. Breeding colonies are usually established on the coasts in numbers of up to tens of thousands birds!

Broad-Billed Hummingbirds

Source: @j_e_n_n_2

• Scientific Name: Cynanthus latirostris
• Size: 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 in)
• Locality: Mexico and southwestern USA
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: January to May in Mexico; April to August in the USA

Deviating our focus from the larger seabirds, we now proceed toward our little feathered friend – Broad-Billed Hummingbird. It’s a bird from the emerald category of 360 hummingbird species and characterized by the exceptionally long bill out of proportion. Only three subspecies have been identified for this species.

Recognition

It’s a puffy, furry bird covered in an elegant mix of emerald and deep blue. Emeralds consume their headsides and wings while the blues cover up their chest region, back and accented on the tails. But the key aspect is their red beak, utilized to the fullest in their quest for collecting nectar from flowers.

Habitat

Since this species rely on flowers and some degree of insects for their survival, highly vegetated zones like woods or groves remain as their favorites. They pick the comfort zones around streams and are known for their migration deeper into Mexico. An accurate tracing is yet to be done during this phase.

Tufted Puffin

Source: @alexandre_vanderyeught

• Scientific Name: Fratercula cirrhata
• Size: 35 cm (14 in)
• Locality: North Pacific Ocean
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Early March to late May

As these birds are native only to the North Pacific ocean, Puget Sound has been decreed as the safe haven for this species. These beautiful seabirds are truly characterized by their thick, red bills. Hunters bear a taste for killing these birds for meat and skin, as well as other natural prey that render them vulnerable in numerous ways.

Recognition

Apart from the red beaks and yellow tafts, you’ll find the shape of their head to be quite interesting. White extrusions over black feathers leave their face easily identifiable. The rest of the body is completely dark knight black with identifiable plumages under broad daylight.

Habitat

Due to their vulnerability, this species usually pick their habitat zones in islands or high grounds that are somewhat free from predators. North Pacific coasts remain as their hotspot where they form comfortable colonies with dense populations. Russian coasts of the Pacific often host these birds during summer.

Northern Cardinal

Source: @whitbread_naturephotography

• Scientific Name: Cardinalis cardinalis
• Size: 21 to 23.5 cm (8.3 to 9.3 in)
• Locality: North America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: March to September

Do you remember that red, crowned bird from the game title Angry Birds? Northern Cardinal is the species from which the game borrowed inspiration from due to its unique and grumpy look. However, it’s actually a really sweet songbird held as the state bird of 7 US states due to its availability and admiration!

Recognition

Male birds of this species are completely red in the most vibrant manner. A wintery, puffed up body renders them very adorable to the onlookers and the black face as well as similar toned wing accents increase their charm. Apart from the crown and long tail, their short, red beak stands out as a striking feature for identification.

Habitat

These songbirds can be heard from afar due to their buoyant trait of singing out loud in their natural habitats. These are spreaded all across North America and even mark their entrance in the Central American regions. Woods, shrubs and wetlands are their comfortable territory and their presence is often seen in urban gardens in search of seeds.

ʻIʻiwi

Source: @traviskeahi_photos

• Scientific Name: Drepanis coccinea
• Size: 14 cm (5.5 in)
• Locality: Hawaiʻi, Maui & Kauaʻi
• Status: Vulnerable
• Breeding Season: January to June

This iconic bird of Hawaiʻi is also referred to as Scarlet Hawaiian Honeycreeper based on two things: one, they’re the most identifiable symbol in the state and second, their love for nectar as prime food choice. These birds are currently vulnerable due to a handful of reasons, but the state is trying to make amends to enact better preservation policies.

Recognition

These birds are honestly shaped like a Sparrow or a Wren due to the compact size. The tiny yet long, red beak is curved downward that allows them to feast on nectar from flowers or to capture insects out of cracks. Entire body is colored in red for them, with black wings and white notches at the roots.

Habitat

‘I‘iwis prefer to live in high altitude areas containing wet woodlands in order to secure a safe habitat, free from vulnerabilities. Most of the birds of this species reside between East Maui and Hawaiʻi inside the narrow foresting area. They show migratory traits but not in terms of spatiality, but altitude as they follow trails of flowers upward or downward in contrast to sea level.

Australian Zebra Finch

Source: @faszynptaszyn

• Scientific Name: Taeniopygia castanotis
• Size: 12 to 24 cm (4.7 to 9.4 in)
• Locality: Central Australia
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: October to April

Out of the two Zebra Finches, the Australian variant contains more information in terms of habits than the only other species of Sunda Zebra Finch. They’re named after zebras due to their pattern of black and white colors, however, Sunda Zebra Finch better satisfies this description over its Australian cousin.

Recognition

Once you’re in the central parts of Australia and consider yourself lucky enough to spot this species, the first thing you’ll identify is their tiny, red beak. Then the gray feathers will come into your sight with brown patches shaped like animal ears. With white abdomen, their underwings are decorated with white dots over light brown and a similar pattern on their black tail.

Habitat

If you’re looking forward to observing this species with your own eyes, steer clear from coastal areas because they don’t enjoy the weather there. Rather, stray more toward the western parts of central Australia in drier regions beside water bodies. Grasslands with some bushes and trees spreaded over are the perfect spot for their habitation.

Black-Bellied Whistling Duck

Source: @_joshuapoe

• Scientific Name: Dendrocygna autumnalis
• Size: 47 to 56 cm (19 to 22 in)
• Locality: United States, Mexico and South America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: April to August

Many refer to this species as ‘whistling ducks’ due to their vocalization capabilities resembling human whistles. These birds can swim across shallow water bodies in search of food. Their diet mostly consists of seeds and smaller arthropods. Some claim them to be nocturnal, but instances of diurnal activities have been recorded by experts.

Recognition

It’s one of those birds with red beaks that carry a miniscule gray area at the tip. You might have guessed already from the name that the belly region is black in color, so are the tail and wings, embossed with whites in the middle. The rest of the body is a sparkling brown with washed out color on the neck portion.

Habitat

Out of the two subspecies, one prefers to live in the northern parts of North America, ranging between Texas and Panama. The other subspecies is native to South America in countries of Ecuador and Argentina. They don’t migrate out of their habitat zone and prefer nesting inside cavities near ground.

Red-Billed Leiothrix

Source: @kaoru8739

• Scientific Name: Leiothrix lutea
• Size: 15 cm (6 in)
• Locality: Southern China and the Himalayas
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: April to June

The Red-Billed Leiothrix is probably one of the most unique birds I’m covering in this article. Being a bird flaunting a yellow chest, it’s quite rare to spot in their natural habitats by regular bird watchers due to their roaming placed in near-inaccessible territories. However, it’s been introduced to other parts of the world in small numbers by ornithologists.

Recognition

It’s a very small and plump sized bird, sizing up not more than 6 inches. The color of the feathers is a magnificent shade of ash pairing up with a moss green crown and white face-sides. Their tail is a midnight blue and the wings are a combination of their chest color with this in sharp patterns. The minute, red beak from a blue origin is quite easy to miss out in the open.

Habitat

Now comes the most interesting part: this species is native to the southern parts of China as well as the region of Himalayas. High altitudinal forests are their favorite zones of habitation. Their introductions were made in Japan, Hawai’i and parts of Europe, but not all of them were able to flourish successfully.

Laughing gull

Source: @saghir.life

• Scientific Name: Leucophaeus atricilla
• Size: 36 to 41 cm (14 to 16 in)
• Locality: North and South America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Late May to early August

If you’re around the coastal marshlands of North or South America and hear a loud ‘kee-agh’, resembling a high-pitched laughter, don’t be afraid! Because there’s a very good probability that you’ve come very close to a Laughing Gull territory, and it’s named based on this ability alone.

Recognition

Laughing Gulls are adorned with a snowy white underside which can often make them look like tundra species. As opposed to it, the back part is completely black, consuming the head portion down until the neck. Their blood-red beak is a point of attraction in their figurine apart from the white notches for eyes.

Habitat

In the Atlantic coasts of Canada, Mexico, USA, Venezuela and Caribbean Islands, these birds tend to form colonies beside ponds. They nest on the ground using grass as building material. The central population tends not to migrate, but the northerners seek warmth during winter toward the south.

Red-Breasted Merganser

Source: @annramseyphotos

• Scientific Name: Mergus serrator
• Size: 51 to 64 cm (20 to 25 in)
• Locality: Northern Hemisphere
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: May to early June

This species is one of those red-chested birds that are recorded to be the fastest of all ducks in the world! It flew at around 100 mph being followed by an airplane, so you can only make a guess at its speed. While it’s a species that’s widely available in the world, toxins and chemicals released in the water kill off many birds each year.

Recognition

If you had built a very generic image of a duck in your head upon hearing its name, you might want to reconsider that. Because it’s a species with spiked hair, black face and a scarlet beak. The underside is white with the opposite being black with white-accented wings. A faded red plumage is textured with black on the chest.

Habitat

Since it’s a duck, the natural habitat for Red-Breasted Merganser contains water bodies like lakes, rivers or a gulf of the ocean. They tend to move slightly inland near water to form a sheltered nest. During winter, large flocks tend to move toward the south in search of warmer temperatures.

Black-Rumped Waxbill

Source: @aurearamon

• Scientific Name: Estrilda troglodytes
• Size: 10 cm (4 in)
• Locality: Southern Africa
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Second half of the African rainy season

Many bird experts believe that the origin of Black-Rumped Waxbill lies in India and over the course of time, they’ve spreaded over to the parts of Africa. These birds are species derived from finch, thus their unique and concise shape as well as various resembling characteristics.

Recognition

This species carries a defining factor with their face that’s colored like a red stripe from left to right. The beak is a similar toned red which is replicated in a washed out manner at their lower abdomen. Warmer chest with gray shades of back feathers team up with black wing edges and tail ends.

Habitat

Black-Rumped Waxbills are mostly birds of dry regions, residing in the subsiding Sahara territory of Africa. Their habitat extends between Uganda and Kenya. These birds are equipped with a refined ability to capture insects in mid flight. Otherwise, they feast on seeds for survival.

Red Avadavat

Source: @bindhur_photography

• Scientific Name: Amandava amandava
• Size: 9·5 to 10 cm (3.75 to 4 in)
• Locality: Tropical Asia
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: During monsoon in Indian subcontinent

Red Avadavat is known in the subcontinent by the name of ‘red munia’ that’s shaped like a sparrow with a much leaner build. It’s a very popular caged bird in the Indian subcontinent due to their joyous nature and vibrant colors. The name ‘avadavat’ was endowed upon them based on the Indian state of Ahmedabad as it used to be the exporter of this species across the world.

Recognition

For this species, males and females usually look different in colors with the male being the more colorful one. With a triangular red beak, their feathers carry different shades of reds, from a faded patch on the chest to a darker tone at the tail end. The wings are dark brown for both genders as females mostly feature yellow feathers.

Habitat

These birds are widely found in the tropical parts of Asia around wide grasslands and open fields. Grass blades are used to form their nests and they forge smaller colonies in pairs. Due to their nature of sticking to the partner, these birds are often sold in pairs to petlovers.

Rosy-Billed Pochard

Source: @photography_by_reb

• Scientific Name: Netta peposaca
• Size: 56 cm (22 in)
• Locality: South America
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: October to November

The easiest recognizable factor for this bird is its red beak, that’s why experts have named it ‘rosy-billed’ after the defining feature. This is one of the diving ducks that entertain human needs as a food source, pets or works of plant cultivation. The good thing is, these birds are gradually increasing in number worldwide despite any active preservation plan.

Recognition

There are two shades of reds on the beak of this duck, the root is wide and extruded with a deep red while the rest of the bill shows a faded tone of this color. The tip is a touch of black, much like the rest of its body feathers, except for the textured, gray wings and white undertail.

Habitat

Since this species find it delightful to feed on vegetations, they’re often found in grassy areas beside water bodies. Channels from rivers, lakes or even marshlands are among their places of habitation. They really can’t do without water due to their nature and migrate in large numbers during drier seasons.

Yellow-Collared Lovebird

Source: @nikborrow

• Scientific Name: Agapornis personatus
• Size: 14.5 cm (5.5 in)
• Locality: Tanzania, Burundi and Kenya
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: March, April, June and July

There are a lot of color variations for the Yellow-Collared Lovebirds under the broader masked lovebird category. This species sprouts out from the family of parrots and their appearance is a direct reflection of their ancestors. Due to their less aggressive nature and beautiful colors, many prefer to have them as pets at home.

Recognition

At first glance, this bird might seem like it’s been from an ‘explosion went wrong’ situation due to the black, burnt head. Underneath is a wide ring of yellow placed over their beautiful, green body feather. From all of these, their arched red beak and big white eyes strike out for identification.

Habitat

The origin of these birds lie in particular parts of Africa. However, massive import as pets to different parts of the world has witnessed smaller colonies formed by birds that went loose. That’s how you’ll be able to come across one or two of the species in Arizona or Puerto Rico. But due to their complex mating preference, they aren’t known for breeding in these two locations.

Red-Billed Tropicbird

Source: @roberto.p.photography

• Scientific Name: Phaethon aethereus
• Size: 90 to 105 cm (35 to 41 in)
• Locality: Tropical oceans
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: November to January

Red-Billed Tropicbird is a seabird native to the tropical oceans all over the world. This species contains three subspecies, two of which share the red-bill trait in their appearance. Their Latin name translates to English as ‘heavenly sun’ due to them seemingly close to flying past the star.

Recognition

Apart from being a bird with a red beak, their most significant aspect is the tail streamer that can size up to twice as long as their body. The streamer is white like the rest of the body feathers. As it wears a black mask, the color is echoed throughout the feathers into black textures and patterns on wings.

Habitat

Usually these birds fly over the tropical oceans in search of food. Fishes remain as their favorite diet and thus the nestings take place nearby water bodies. They have a tendency to form loose colonies, usually over the cliff, to allow them an easy opening for take off into air.

White-Throated Kingfisher

Source: @birding_vee

• Scientific Name: Halcyon smyrnensis
• Size: 27 to 28 cm (10.6 to 11.0 in)
• Locality: Spreaded across Asia
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: April to July

It may come to you as a shock that despite belonging to the kingfisher category, the White-Throated Kingfisher has the ability to steer clear from water bodies for prolonged duration. They can feast on reptiles or insects when fish sources aren’t nearby and their five subspecies have these resemblances in common.

Recognition

The most astounding factor of appearance for this species is the oddly large-sized red beak. It’s a tiny bird with brown feathers all around with the chest portion cleared out to host a patch of plain white. Wings are outlined with a cyan tone and black accents, which is mimicked on the tail as well.

Habitat

Many people regard this species as tree kingfishers due to their preference of living on trees. For most parts, open spaces are their comfortable habitation zone across parts of Asia, ranging from India to Egypt. However, sightings high up in the Himalayas or the mangrove forest of Sundarbans have been recorded by bird watchers.

Black Bulbul

Source: @chung.lungan

• Scientific Name: Hypsipetes leucocephalus
• Size: 24 to 25 cm (9.4 to 9.8 in)
• Locality: Himalayas, India and eastern Asia
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: February to June

Black Bulbul is a species native to the Himalayas bearing 10 subspecies. Out of them, the White-Headed Bulbul can be barely passed off with the similar tone of an Eagle. These birds are very loud and their mewing or other calling sounds can be heard from a long distance.

Recognition

It’s basically a bird in black, the darker shade planted on the back and a much faded tone is featured on the abdomen area. Much like their red beak, the feet also share the same color and it’s visible while this passerine remains perched upon a tree. Their head contains a spiked portion of feathers, making it look more menacing than they actually are.

Habitat

Most of these birds are located around parts of the Himalayas where dense forests are surfaced on the face of earth. Although they can handle high altitudes, during winter they’re known to descend downward for lower temperatures. They use grasses or leaves to create their nest on a tree or even inside bushes.

Red-Billed Blue-Magpie

Source: @drh1980

• Scientific Name: Urocissa erythroryncha
• Size: 65 to 68 cm (25.5 to 27 in)
• Locality: Southeast Asia
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: March to May

When it comes to Red-Billed Blue-Magpies, this species has generated five subspecies that are distributed across southeastern parts of Asia. It has the ability to mimic any vocalization they hear, but otherwise the callings are restricted to high-pitched whistles and crackling noises.

Recognition

This species is simply magnificent when it comes to their feather colors. Recognition should be quite easy with their average-sized red beak, a white crown, same toned belly region and a deep blue shade etched on the wings. Their undertail is patterned with black and white and the extruded tail often gives away their identity.

Habitat

They are mostly fond of hilly or mountainous areas where a subsiding forest exists. However, a lot of these birds can now be seen in urban regions of Asia, in gardens or even in backyards. Shrubs and trees are their preferred positions for planting nests formed with leaves and twigs.

Red-Billed Chough

Source: @naomirose_photography

• Scientific Name: Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
• Size: 39 to 40 cm (15 to 16 in)
• Locality: Parts of Europe and Asia
• Status: Least Concern
• Breeding Season: Mid-April to early-May

Red-Billed Chough is globally recognized as a Least Concerned species but in parts of Europe and Asia, they’re quite threatened due to many vulnerabilities. Other than parasites or falling prey to other animals, alteration in cultivation patterns are deemed as their major reason for decline.

Recognition

This bird might make you check for some symbolisms of black birds because of its fully black color on feathers. The neck part of the blacks are matte as opposed to the wings and tail being the shiny parts. On top of all this, a sturdy, red beak stands out and aids in identifying this bird out in the wild.

Habitat

Most of the time, these birds are found around hilly areas or coastal riffs of Europe and Asia. Their usual breeding spots are picked high up in the mountains, up to 10,000 feet high from sea level. These non-migratory birds create their nests during breeding season using roots, hair or wool.

Thoughts

With these 22 entries, our investigation on birds with red beaks is drawn to a close. In this journey, you were presented with some of the most unique bird species on earth putting on a variety of color palettes upon their feathers.

Whether you were only interested to find out how many red beaked birds exist in the world or you had spotted one, awaiting confirmation, this article aspired to cover all possible grounds.

That’s why I’ve gone to the extent of discussing their natural habitats, key traits, identifiable physical characteristics and even vocalization so that you can satisfy your curiosity.

I hope my work won’t go in vain and end up contributing to your bird knowledge one way or another!

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Audio Credits: xeno-canto, wikimedia