You saw a striking bird with a red head, did you? You wonder what it is. That shouldn't be too hard to figure out, should it? How many kinds of birds with red heads could there possibly be?

In the United States and Canada there are many birds with either fully or partially red heads. Sometimes there is just a touch of red. Sometimes the entire bird is mostly red. Sometimes the red color is more orange, sometimes it is more pink. The list of birds with red heads includes these:

House Finch

Photo by Greg Gillson

House Finches are found in residential areas, towns, farms throughout the United States. They are only missing from the grasslands of the Great Plains and from most of Florida. They barely reach southern Canada. They are residents, meaning they don't migrate for the most part, rather stay year-round in the same area.

They give chirping calls and sing throughout the year with a wiry warble with scratchy notes at the end.

Purple Finch

Photo by Greg Gillson

Purple Finches live in damper woods. They are found in summer across southern Canada, barely reaching the northern tier of the United States in the Midwest and New England states. They are also found in the mountains of the West, clear south to southern California. In winter they move out of Canada and are found throughout the Eastern US.

They have a rollicking warbled song with three identical quick rolling phrases, ending with two short notes, without the harsh ending noted of House Finches. I think the song sounds like "hurry little, hurry little, hurry little, hup! hup!" They also give a sharp "plic!" call in flight.

They may visit your seed feeder in winter.

Cassin's Finch

Photo by Greg Gillson

Males are very softly brushed with pink. The crown of the head is the brightest red. Note a thin white eye ring and deeply forked tail.

As with most finches they eat mostly seeds.

They give a 3-part call "tee-dee-yip" call and have a long song. The song lacks the harsh notes of House Finch and is less structured than Purple Finch.

Red Crossbill

Photo by Greg Gillson

Crossbills sometimes irrupt in winter, moving in huge numbers from one area to another as the cone crops fail or are abundant locally. They may show up at backyard feeders well outside or south of their typical range, but mostly feed on pine cone seeds.

Males are red; females are yellowish. Birds with large crossed bills feed on the seeds of big pine cones. Birds with dainty bills feed on tiny soft spruce cones.

More than 10 forms of Red Crossbills have been "discovered" recently. They all have different songs and call notes. They have different size of bills and tend to feed on the cone seeds of different species of conifers. But they overlap in range in a confusing manner that scientists are still trying to figure out.

Red Crossbills have a warbling song similar to the finches above and give a doubled "kip-kip" or "jiff-jiff" call.

Pine Grosbeak

Photo by Greg Gillson

Different forms show quite a bit of variation in the amount of coloring--red on males, yellow on females. Otherwise they are about 9 inches long, plump, with two white wing bars, a heavy black conical bill and forked tail.

They eat seeds, fruit and buds in winter. They are especially fond of the fruit clusters of mountain ash trees.

They sing a warbling song and give a flight call of "pui pui pui."

Males are brilliant red throughout with a black face and bib. Females are buffier and duller, but still show some red.

Cardinals eat insects, fruit, and seeds. They readily come to backyard feeders and eat a wide variety of seeds and other bird foods.

Both sexes sing nearly year-round. Common whistled phrases include "cheery cheery cheery."

This species is found from Texas to Arizona and south into Mexico. They live in mesquite thickets and other thorny brush.

Pyrrhuloxias feed on the ground and eat weed seeds and other hard seeds.

They sing a liquid whistles song and have a metallic "chink" call.

Summer Tanager

Photo by Greg Gillson

These birds are found in pine-oak woods in the East, but in cottonwoods in the West (see photo above).

They are found in the East from about Virginia to Iowa and south, west from Texas to southern California and into Mexico. They migrate out of the US in winter, except for a few in southern coastal regions from Florida to Texas and southern California.

They sing robin-like phrases and give a "ki-ti-tuk" call.

Scarlet Tanager

Image by Steve Maslowski, Fish & Wildlife Service. Public domain.

They summer in deciduous woods in the eastern United States and migrate south out of the country in winter.

They sing hoarse robin-like phrases. Call is "chip-burr."

Western Tanager

Photo by Greg Gillson

They are found in the West, from northern Canada barely to Mexico in summer. They winter in Middle America.

These tanagers may appear in fall at backyard bird feeders. But as with all the tanagers, may be attracted to birdbaths and fountains year-round.

They sing a hoarse robin-like song and have clicking calls "pit-er-ick."

Vermilion Flycatcher

Photo by Greg Gillson

Even though they are desert birds they are usually found near stream sides. Typical manmade habitats they favor include golf courses, ball fields, cemeteries.

In breeding season the males sing their song in a fluttery display flight "pi-a-see pit-a-see."

Red-headed Woodpecker

Image by unknown. Public Domain. From Pixabay.

They require trees big enough to drill their nest holes, and away from competition for those holes with European Starlings.

They eat flying insects they catch in the air or find other invertebrate prey, nuts, and seeds on the ground.

Their call is a soft rattle.

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Photo by Greg Gillson

They drill tiny rows of sap wells in trees and then visit them to drink the sap and eat any insects that were trapped in the sticky sap.

They aren't very active, but give themselves away by their periodic wheezy descending calls.

Pileated Woodpecker

Photo by Greg Gillson

They prefer mature forests and deep woodlands, both deciduous and conifer. They drill huge square holes in dead stumps and downed trees to excavate carpenter ants for food. They are one of only a few woodpeckers that will drill their nest cavities into firm live trees.

The loud wild call is a sign you are in the wilderness forests, a ringing "kik-kik, kik-kik, kik."

They readily come to backyard bird feeders. They eat suet, peanuts, and sometimes sunflower seeds. Their "wild" food consists of beetles, grasshoppers, and ants.

A common call is a rolling "churr."

Acorn Woodpecker

Photo by Greg Gillson

They are found wherever there are groves of large oak trees, including pine-oak woodlands.

They live in large family groups and small colonies where they collect and store acorns tightly into the bark of trees. As the acorns dry they shrink and may fall out. So they are constantly testing the fit and moving acorns into better-sized holes. Granary trees can contain many thousands of acorns. They eat these acorns in winter. They also eat insects, frequently flying insects they catch in the air.

These are social and noisy birds, constantly calling "Whack-up! Whack-up!"

Downy Woodpecker

Photo by Greg Gillson

Only the males have a red spot on the back of the head. This is a frequent pattern for woodpeckers around the world. Only a few species have red heads, many types of larger woodpeckers do have red crests, though.

The bill is tiny on this bird compared to other woodpeckers. Thus they tend to pick for beetles, ants, and other bark insects, rather than drilling for food. They are especially fond of suet at backyard feeders.

They give a sharp "pik!" call and in spring "sing" a longer descending whinny call, composed of a very rapid series of those "pik!" calls.

Male hummingbirds have iridescent throats that show red, orange, purple, and pink highlights. There is only one species of hummingbird regularly found in the eastern United States. There are 6 species of hummingbirds throughout most of the western United States. Southeast Arizona, though, is the US capitol for hummingbirds. There are 15 species of hummingbirds that occur in the United States each year. Of the 130 species of hummingbirds in the world (only in the Americas), a total of about 26 have occurred north of Mexico.

Anna's Hummingbird

Photo by Greg Gillson

Anna's Hummingbirds are a common bird of California that have expanded in recent years into Oregon (even a few to SE Alaska) and Arizona. In winter they are found throughout the Baja peninsula and occasionally to Texas.

They eat flower nectar and insects they catch in flight or glean from plants. They take over hummingbird feeders but the tiny Rufous and Allen's Hummingbirds can sometimes stand up to these larger bullies.

Males in spring (winter even!) start singing a long buzzy insect-like refrain from an exposed perch.

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What birds have red heads? 17 kinds with photos! - What ...

But there's no need to be all doom and gloom. After all, there were actual Major League Baseball games! And with games come updated Power Rankings. We surveyed our group of reporters, analysts and editors after the first week and a half of the 60-game (we hope) season, with the results below. The biggest gainers from our preseason rankings are the Padres, who moved up eight spots to No. 11, and the Tigers, who are up five to No. 24. On the other end of the spectrum, the Reds, a trendy pick to sit atop the NL Central standings, dropped five spots, and the Mets, Angels, Diamondbacks and Pirates each fell four.

National baseball writer David Schoenfield offers his first impressions for every team along with the rankings.

Los Angeles Dodgers2020 record: 7-3Preseason ranking: 1

Let's see, Clayton Kershaw made his first start on Sunday, Walker Buehler has made one abbreviated outing, MVP Cody Bellinger is off to a terrible start and didn't hit his first home run until Sunday, Joc Pederson and Justin Turner haven't homered, Will Smith is struggling ... and the Dodgers still have the best run differential in the majors.

ICYMI: Eight games?!? Breaking down Joe Kelly's suspension

New York Yankees2020 record: 7-1Preseason ranking: 2

The offense looks every bit as formidable as predicted, especially with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton looking healthy and locked in. Aroldis Chapman has finally been cleared to pitch, but Tommy Kahnle appears headed for Tommy John surgery, so the bullpen depth will be tested.

ICYMI: Stanton says players united to bring hope, power

Minnesota Twins2020 record: 7-2Preseason ranking: 5

Just like last year, the Twins are going to pound a gazillion home runs -- with ageless Nelson Cruz leading the way -- but some of the key bright spots early have been strong starts from Kenta Maeda and Rich Hill in the rotation and solid performances by the back of the bullpen. With so many teams struggling at closer, Taylor Rogers looks like one of the best in the business.

ICYMI: Twins should benefit from 60-game schedule

Houston Astros2020 record: 5-4Preseason ranking: 4

The Astros are relying on 13 rookies, including 10 pitchers, so there is certainly some concern about the quality and depth of the pitching staff, especially with Justin Verlander out for an indeterminate amount of time and closer Roberto Osuna on the injured list after hurting his arm Saturday. That leaves Ryan Pressly as the only healthy non-rookie in the bullpen.

ICYMI: Verlander injury a caution flag for Astros, MLB

Tampa Bay Rays2020 record: 4-6Preseason ranking: 3

The Rays can pitch, but the hope was that the offense would be greater than the sum of its parts. So far, that hasn't been the case, with half the lineup hitting under .200 and suffering an embarrassing sweep against the Orioles over the weekend. Getting Austin Meadows back this week from a positive COVID-19 test will help, and the Rays certainly have the pitching to go on a 10-2 spurt at any time, but we need to see more from the offense to think that they can compete with the Yankees in the AL East.

ICYMI: Is 2020 the year Tyler Glasnow breaks through?

Atlanta Braves2020 record: 7-3Preseason ranking: 6

Despite the record, it has been an uneven start for the Braves, with Ronald Acuna Jr.'s strikeout binge a troubling concern. Mike Soroka and Max Fried have both made two good starts, but the Braves are trying to figure out the rest of the rotation, with Mike Foltynewicz so bad in his one outing that he was designated for assignment and returned to the team's alternate training site to find his velocity.

ICYMI: Markakis opts back in, returns to Braves

Cleveland Indians2020 record: 5-5Preseason ranking: 9

We knew going in that Cleveland would have to rely on its starting rotation and hope to scrape out enough offense, and there has been no change to that assessment after 10 games. Shane Bieber has been the best starter in the majors through two starts, with no runs allowed and 27 strikeouts, trying Karl Spooner's MLB record for K's through two appearances. Zach Plesac also had an impressive first start, with 11 K's and no runs. The rotation will make the Indians a playoff team, but they'll need more than Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and Carlos Santana to make a larger dent.

ICYMI: Is the Indians' window as contenders closed?

Oakland Athletics2020 record: 5-4Preseason ranking: 7

The offense is off to an abysmal start, and though there isn't any reason yet to be worried about the production from Matt Chapman, Matt Olson and Marcus Semien, Khris Davis is a concern after a poor 2019. We also haven't seen a major impact yet from rookies Jesus Luzardo, who is currently pitching out of the bullpen, and A.J. Puk, who is progressing through a throwing program at the team's alternate training site after shoulder problems.

ICYMI: Canha upped his cooking game during pandemic

Washington Nationals2020 record: 3-4Preseason ranking: 8

It's difficult to get a read on the Nationals, as Stephen Strasburg and Juan Soto have yet to play, and their weekend series against the Marlins was postponed. Soto will be ready when the Nationals return to action Tuesday. Strasburg should throw a bullpen early this week and remains on schedule to return soon. The defending champs will look a lot stronger with those two back in the fold.

ICYMI: Nats add Josh Harrison to roster

Chicago Cubs2020 record: 7-2Preseason ranking: 13

Is that Tyler Chatwood heading a rotation that has been stellar so far? Why, yes, as Chatwood has won both his starts, allowing just one run with 19 K's in 12 innings. The Cubs will need the rotation to be stellar because the bullpen looks like it could be a mess. You don't want to overreact to two outings, but Craig Kimbrel might be toast, having walked four batters and hit another in one appearance and allowed two home runs in the other after allowing nine home runs in 20 innings last year.

ICYMI: Bryant out with illness, negative for COVID

San Diego Padres2020 record: 6-4Preseason ranking: 19

The Padres are fun and exciting, though one of their early keys is something not quite as exciting as a Fernando Tatis Jr. home run: They're walking a lot more. Entering Sunday, the Padres had improved from 19th in the majors in walk rate to third. Surprisingly, the bullpen has struggled, with Drew Pomeranz getting a couple of saves over All-Star closer Kirby Yates. It's safe to wonder how long it'll be before we see MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patino up to help fortify the pitching staff, either in the rotation or in the pen.

Milwaukee Brewers2020 record: 3-3Week 23 ranking: 14

The big surprise before Milwaukee's weekend series against the Cardinals was postponed was Christian Yelich's awful start: 1-for-27 with one walk and 12 strikeouts. "You're going to see really good players have really bad years," Yelich said at the start of summer camp. Brewers fans can only hope he wasn't making a prediction for himself. Factor in that Lorenzo Cain just opted out of playing the remainder of the season, and now the Brewers will have to play Ben Gamel in center (or even Yelich, with Ryan Braun moving back to the outfield). Anyway, this isn't a great offense, even with an MVP-level Yelich. The pitching staff will have to carry the load.

ICYMI: Cain's choice to opt out

St. Louis Cardinals2020 record: 2-3Preseason ranking: 12

With a limited slate so far, the Cardinals have questions to answer about the state of their pitching staff -- at least other than Jack Flaherty. Carlos Martinez is back in the rotation, but he got rocked in his one start (3 innings, seven hits, two home runs). Miles Mikolas is out for the season after forearm surgery. There is flexibility here -- Kwang Hyun Kim, Austin Gomber and Daniel Ponce de Leon are all potential starters -- so Mike Shildt will have to figure out some roles.

ICYMI: Cardinals hit by more positive tests for COVID

New York Mets2020 record: 3-7Preseason ranking: 10

Well, it didn't take long for the Mets to start being the Mets. They blew a four-run lead in the eighth inning Friday against the Braves; last year, teams were 920-10 after leading by four or more runs after seven innings. Yoenis Cespedes disappeared Sunday and then opted out. Pete Alonso has one extra-base hit. The Mets had 10 hits and five walks on Sunday and still got shut out. It would seem that there's too much talent here for the Mets to be a 3-7 team, but they're 3-7.

ICYMI: Rojas mum on Diaz's status as closer

Chicago White Sox2020 record: 5-4Preseason ranking: 17

The Sox are living up to their billing as exciting -- and unpredictable. Rookie center fielder Luis Robert is a whirlwind of power and speed, Eloy Jimenez is likewise off to a strong start, and rookie second baseman Nick Madrigal had four hits Sunday in his third big league game. The Sox remain too free-swinging, however, to have an elite offense (28th in the majors in walk rate), which means the pitching will have to rise up. Losing shortstop Tim Anderson to the injured list because of a groin strain will hurt over the next 10 days as well.

ICYMI: Dazzling Robert could be MLB's next superstar

Cincinnati Reds2020 record: 4-5Preseason ranking: 11

The Reds were the cool kids' pick to win the NL Central, but they're off to a lethargic start. There are reasons to remain optimistic, though. The team's BABIP entering Sunday was .215, lowest in the majors. That will turn around. The Reds are second in the majors in walk rate, so they'll get on base (though Joey Votto just landed on the IL with virus symptoms). Sonny Gray has had two great starts, proving that his stellar 2019 was no fluke. The Reds have four games against Cleveland this week, so that BABIP bad luck had better turn around.

Philadelphia Phillies2020 record: 1-2Preseason ranking: 18

If we do get through the season, the Phillies will have a week of postponed games to make up, which means a string of doubleheaders and fewer off days, putting even more strain on a pitching staff that appears to lack depth. Aside from that, the offense wasn't that great last year, ranking eighth in the NL in runs. The Phillies still look like the fourth-best team in the NL East, but it isn't like the Braves, Nationals and Mets look like powerhouses.

Toronto Blue Jays2020 record: 3-4Preseason ranking: 21

Welcome to the Show, Nate Pearson. His debut was one of the early highlights of the season, as he lived up to his billing as a future ace, showcasing a blistering fastball, a terrific slider and the confidence to go with it. The Toronto lineup and bullpen have some issues, but the rotation could be very good, which makes the Blue Jays sleeper playoff contenders.

ICYMI: Jays schedule Buffalo 'home' debut on Aug. 11

Los Angeles Angels2020 record: 3-7Preseason ranking: 15

To be fair, the Angels haven't had their full lineup together except for a couple of games, as Anthony Rendon missed the start of the season, and then Mike Trout left on paternity leave. The bullpen is going to be an issue, and you wonder how long Joe Maddon will stick with Albert Pujols -- benching a player of his stature is no easy decision. Can the Angels scratch out a .500 season and make the playoffs? Sure, but this club hardly looks like a threat to the best teams in the AL.

ICYMI: Trout to return Tuesday

Arizona Diamondbacks2020 record: 3-7Preseason ranking: 16

Arizona looked like a solid playoff pick, but if the Padres and Rockies are better than anticipated, the D-backs' playoffs odds will take a significant hit, especially given that Robbie Ray and Luke Weaver have been terrible in two outings and the offense has been devoid of power. The bullpen, a problem last year, was a question heading into the season and remains so.

Colorado Rockies2020 record: 6-2Preseason ranking: 23

The pitching staff has carried Colorado to a nice start -- Kyle Freeland has looked more like the 2018 Freeland than the pitcher who posted a 6.73 ERA in 2019 -- and you wonder if the Rockies are the team most primed to benefit from the short season. Playing at altitude is always a fatigue factor over 162 games, and the lack of organizational pitching depth might not be as much of a problem over 60 games. Remember, as bad as the Rockies were last year, they were 31-29 through 60 games (and were 40-34 before collapsing).

Boston Red Sox2020 record: 3-7Preseason ranking: 20

Look, it's too early to pull the plug on the 2020 Red Sox, but with Eduardo Rodriguez out for the season, this rotation is a Jackson Pollock painting -- only without the supposed artistic value. One of the starters is Ryan Weber, who has seven walks and no strikeouts in two starts. Matt Hall had a 5.30 ERA last year -- at Toledo. Then there's the offense. Rafael Devers didn't log his first RBIs of the season until Sunday. Andrew Benintendi is walking but not hitting. J.D. Martinez hasn't homered. If there's ever a season to tank, this is probably it.

ICYMI: Inside Chaim Bloom's wild first 280 days on the job

Texas Rangers2020 record: 3-5Preseason ranking: 22

Corey Kluber's injury put a big dent in Texas' playoff aspirations, and other than Joey Gallo, the offense has been nonexistent. The Rangers aren't a good defensive team, and closer Jose Leclerc is out because of a shoulder strain similar to Kluber's. Really, this looks like a team with no plan. Isiah Kiner-Falefa at third base? Todd Frazier at first base? A rotating cast in the outfield? The most interesting thing so far is that the early returns on Globe Life Field are that it will be much more of a pitchers' park than Globe Life Park was.

ICYMI: Kluber shut down for four weeks

Detroit Tigers2020 record: 5-5Preseason ranking: 29

Like the Orioles, the Tigers have managed to win some games, but on paper, this still looks like a bad team. If you want to dream big, the bullpen has been excellent -- Scott Alexander tied an AL record with nine straight strikeouts on Sunday (former Tiger Doug Fister, of all pitchers, held the mark) -- and with so many teams struggling to lock down the late innings, that's one way the Tigers might surprise. That seems unlikely, but odds are we're going to see one surprise team make the playoffs.

San Francisco Giants2020 record: 5-5Preseason ranking: 26

Mike Yastrzemski for MVP! The grandson of the Hall of Famer came out of nowhere last year to have a solid rookie season, and as a sophomore, he's hitting for average and power, drawing walks and playing a solid center field. Oh, and who was leading the majors in RBIs entering Sunday? Giants shortstop Donovan Solano, of course. Hey, we knew it was going to be a strange season.

Kansas City Royals2020 record: 3-7Preseason ranking: 25

Rookies Brady Singer and Kris Bubic are in the rotation, so that's at least something to watch. Whit Merrifield and Jorge Soler are stinging the ball. Still, this is a bad baseball team. If you like hitters who don't walk, this lineup is for you. Adalberto Mondesi, Maikel Franco and Merrifield have batted a combined 123 times without a walk. Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon have batted an additional 72 times with one walk apiece. Ugh.

ICYMI: What Soler, Singer are doing to turn scouts' heads

Seattle Mariners2020 record: 4-6Preseason ranking: 28

The Mariners probably won't be very good, but at least they have some interesting things going on. Kyle Lewis looks like a Rookie of the Year candidate, Evan White can really pick it at first base, Taijuan Walker threw a gem the other night, and Yusei Kikuchi is suddenly averaging 96 mph with his fastball. The biggest question is whether outfielder Jarred Kelenic, who looked great during summer camp, will be called up from the team's training site despite having little time above Class A.

ICYMI: Mariners' youth movement showing promise

Pittsburgh Pirates2020 record: 2-7Preseason ranking: 24

On the bright side, Colin Moran has five home runs. On the downside ... well, pretty much everything else. Josh Bell looks lost so far, and that makes you think of his 2019 splits: 1.024 OPS in the first half, .780 in the second half. Bryan Reynolds and Kevin Newman are off to slow starts after hitting .300 as rookies, and that's one reason the team batting average stood at .178 entering Sunday. The Pirates need Bell, Reynolds and Newman to be good, or there is little reason to be optimistic about the future.

Miami Marlins2020 record: 2-1Preseason ranking: 27

What can you say? The Marlins won their season-opening series against the Phillies, even as the team came down with the coronavirus outbreak that nearly got the MLB season wiped out less than a week into this little adventure. The Marlins, who are scheduled to resume play Tuesday against the Orioles, will not resemble the Marlins who began the season. They will likely be not very good.

Baltimore Orioles2020 record: 5-3Preseason ranking: 30

Hey, the Orioles are two games over .500! After that 13-2 Opening Day loss, it seemed like they might go 10-50 -- or something worse that only Stephen King could conjure up. That might sound wild, but the Orioles had a 14-46 stretch last season (not the worst in the majors, as the Tigers had a 12-48 stretch). Anyway, the O's have scored some runs, Alex Cobb has had a couple of solid outings, and this team just swept the Rays. In other words, the Orioles probably deserve to be higher than No. 30 ... for now.

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MLB Power Rankings - Our first impressions of all 30 teams - ESPN