# Bird ID: Purple Cardinal?



## Fletch_W (May 3, 2010)

I've never seen this one before. It looks just like a cardinal, but violet-purple with white under the wings. It's got a crest and cardinal type beak, if I took a black and white pic you'd say "That's a cardinal". But it's purple. What is this? I searched google with the terms "purple cardinal" and got nowhere. Do any of you know what it is? I've lived in GA most of my life and have never seen this kind of bird. I've seen it twice in the last week now. There are at least two of them hanging around the birdfeeder.


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## Nicodemus (May 3, 2010)

Post a pic anyway. I`m curious.


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## golffreak (May 3, 2010)

Cedar waxwing?


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## Fletch_W (May 3, 2010)

Not cedar waxwing, unless there is a purple variety not pictured in google online image search that I missed. I've got the camera on the porch waiting for when I see it again.


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## Fletch_W (May 3, 2010)

The waxwing has the crest and the banded eye like a cardinal, but the darkest one I can find online isn't even close to the virtually solid purple on what I saw, and the purplest waxwing online still has a solid white breast. The one around here has white only under the wing.


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## Nicodemus (May 3, 2010)

Just out of curiousity, google Stellars Jay.


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## Fletch_W (May 3, 2010)

that's close, but doesn't have the black banded eye and the color isn't that blue, more of a straight purple.


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## drippin' rock (May 3, 2010)

Try Buntings.  could be Varied or Lazuli, but they would be a far piece from their normal habitat.  A Blue Grossbeak has a cardinal-like beak but no white under the wings.  Don't know what to do about the crest.... My 1st thought was what you described does not exist.


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## NOYDB (May 3, 2010)

any of these?

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/browse_tax.aspx?family=13


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## Fletch_W (May 6, 2010)

here is video, it took a while to get. I noticed finally that it has a red spot on the wing, and it's more purple in person than on the video. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjivbuc5yF8


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## Fletch_W (May 6, 2010)

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Grosbeak/id

Blue grosbeak yes! From a distance, it appeared to have a crest. I had yet to see it on the feeder, just on the fence and only briefly. Also never noticed the red spot on the wing either. Thanks for the help@!


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## Big7 (May 6, 2010)

Cool looking birdie...


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## Nicodemus (May 6, 2010)

Yea, it`s definatley a blue grosbeak. I generally have a pair nest behind the house every year. Good video.


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## Capt Quirk (May 6, 2010)

We had a white cardinal back in Fla. Well, he was mostly white and pinkish.


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