From fiery scarlet to subtle amber, these birds often flaunt this color for reasons beyond just looking pretty, many rely on orange plumage to attract mates. Some of these birds are easy to spot, while others require a keener eye.
Birds come in a stunning array of colors and patterns. While some species sport more subtle hues like browns and greys others flaunt vibrant shades of red yellow, green, blue, and orange. Birds with orange bellies really stand out against green forests or blue skies.
The bright orange belly is an important identifying feature for many bird species. In some cases, only the male or female has the orange underside. The intensity of the orange can also vary within a species as can the size of the orange patch.
Orange bellies serve various purposes for different bird species. The bold color can play a role in attracting a mate or intimidating competitors. It can also distract predators that get too close to a nest. Of course, the vibrant hue supplements the bird’s natural camouflage in certain environments.
While birds around the world exhibit orange undersides, this article focuses on 15 common species with orange bellies that occur in the Americas. Keep reading to find out what birds to look out for with flaming orange undersides.
1. American Robin
The American Robin is one of the most familiar garden birds in North America. It has a black head, grey back and wings, white patches around the eyes and below the tail, and a vivid orange breast.
Both males and females sport the orange breast. However, it tends to be brighter in males. American Robins breed throughout most of North America. Those that breed in northern areas migrate south for winter.
2. Western Tanager
The Western Tanager is aptly named for its bright orange-yellow underparts that contrast with its red head. Their backs and wings are black, and white bars are visible on the wings in flight.
Females also have yellow undersides but exhibit olive-yellow upperparts rather than the male’s striking red head. These birds breed in open coniferous forests in western North America. They winter in Mexico and Central America.
3. Flame-Colored Tanager
As their name suggests, Flame-colored Tanagers have stunning bright orange-red plumage covering their undersides, upperparts, and head. Only the wings and tail are black. Females also have the reddish-orange plumage but are slightly duller than males.
This tropical tanager inhabits humid broadleaf forests. It has a limited range, occurring only in Costa Rica and western Panama in Central America.
4. Hepatic Tanager
The male Hepatic Tanager appropriately has a burnt orange-red belly and underparts that contrast sharply with its black back, wings, and tail. The head is orange-red, and the bill is thick and pale.
Females have yellowish undersides, olive upperparts, and paler bills. Their range extends from Mexico to Bolivia, inhabiting mountain forests. Hepatic Tanagers migrate altitudinally in winter.
5. Summer Tanager
Male Summer Tanagers are aptly named, with their uniformly bright orange-red plumage. The only exceptions are the brownish wings and tail. Females have olive-yellow upperparts and paler yellow-orange underparts.
These tanagers breed in open oak and mixed forests in southeastern North America. They migrate to Central America and northern South America for winter.
6. Scarlet Tanager
The male Scarlet Tanager is a real stunner with its bright red body offset by black wings and tail. Females are yellow-olive above and pale orange below.
These breeding birds of eastern North American forests migrate to northwestern South America for winter. Their red and black coloration blends into the lush green foliage.
7. Red-Crowned Amazon
Red-Crowned Amazons are vibrant green parrots with bright red crowns, orange-yellow undersides, blue highlights on the wings, and red and blue accents on the tail. Their big curved beaks are grey. Males and females look alike.
A native breeder in northeastern Mexico, this parrot has established feral populations in urban areas of Southern California, Florida, Hawaii and Texas in the United States.
8. Red-Bellied Woodpecker
While Red-bellied Woodpeckers don’t have fully orange-red bellies, the males do exhibit a washed orange-red patch on the belly that extends to the lower breast. Females have paler orange bellies. Both have barred black and white backs and wings.
These woodpeckers breed in forests of eastern North America. Some are year-round residents, while northern populations migrate south for winter.
9. Northern Flicker
The Northern Flicker is a large woodpecker with brown barred upperparts, black spots on the belly, and a red nape. In the yellow-shafted race of the Eastern United States, males have an orange-red crescent across the breast, while females have a paler orange patch.
This woodpecker inhabits open forests, woodlands, orchards, and parks. Northern populations migrate south for winter, while some Southern flickers are resident.
10. Vermilion Flycatcher
The male Vermilion Flycatcher is adorned with orange-red underparts and a red crest that stands out against its brown back. Females have pale peachy underparts and crests.
This species inhabits arid and semi-arid environments with scattered trees and shrubs in southwestern North America and much of Central and South America. Northern populations migrate south in winter.
11. Painted Bunting
The male Painted Bunting boasts a green back, red underparts, and a blue head. Females are green above with a pale greenish-yellow underside. These colorful buntings breed in thickets and woodland edges of the southern United States and winter in Mexico and Central America.
12. Lazuli Bunting
The male Lazuli Bunting has brilliant blue upperparts, a red breast and belly, and a white wing patch. Females are duller, with a pale underside washed with yellow and buff.
These migratory songbirds breed in western North America and winter in Mexico. In summer, look for them in brushy habitats and woodland edges.
13. Blue Grosbeak
Male Blue Grosbeaks sport deep blue upperparts and wine-red underparts. Females are mostly brown, with a pale peachy underside.
They breed in overgrown fields, scrubby areas, and woodland edges in central and eastern United States and Mexico. They winter in Central America and northern South America.
14. Indigo Bunting
The male Indigo Bunting is a stunning sapphire blue bird with a darker blue head. Females are plain brown above with a pale orange-yellow throat and underside.
These songbirds breed in farmlands, forest edges, and overgrown fields in eastern and central North America. They winter in Florida, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
15. Blue-winged Warbler
Male Blue-winged Warblers have olive-green upperparts, bright yellow underparts and throats, black eye lines, and grey bills. Females are slightly duller with a pale yellow wash over the undersides.
These warblers breed in shrubby fields and young forest regrowth in the eastern United States and Canada. They migrate to Central America and the Caribbean for winter.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, numerous bird species across North and South America exhibit fiery orange undersides. The orange belly is an excellent feature to note when identifying birds.
Males often sport richer orange hues than females. But in both sexes, the vibrant color serves various purposes like attracting mates, camouflage, and alarming predators.
Next time you see a flash of orange dart by, stop and take a closer look. It may be one of these 15 bird species with brilliant orange bellies.
21 Birds with Orange Chests
From bright flame to a subtle buff tone, each bird has its own way of reflecting its carotene pigmentation.
Here’s a list of some of the birds with the prettiest orange shades you’ll ever spot:
Scarlet Tanager Songbird
- Scientific name: Piranga olivacea
- Wingspan: 10 in
- Length: 6.5 in
- Weight: 1.02 oz
You won’t have a hard time telling the Scarlet Tanager from other Piranga species since each has its distinctive color, especially the male ones.
For instance, the Western Tanager is a vivid yellow, and the Summer Tanager’s plumage is red all over.
It’s with the Flame-colored Tanager that things get a bit complicated since their chests are almost the same hue of orange.
To tell them apart, you’ll have to take a look at their wings. Scarlet ones have solid black wings, while the flame-colored ones are patterned grayish.
If you visit evergreen forests in the eastern part of the States, you might get lucky and come across any of those orange-breasted beauties!
- Scientific name: Setophaga fusca
- Wingspan: 8 in
- Length: 3.7-7.5 in
- Weight: 0.34 oz
The warbler is a notoriously good flier that visits America twice annually, and it prefers coniferous trees during the summer.
Its chest is a faded hue somewhere between yellow and orange, but the eyeliner-like patterns on its face are very sharp and striking.
If you see the white marking on the side of its black wing, you can say for sure that you’ve seen a Blackburnian Warbler!
- Scientific name: Haemorhous mexicanus
- Wingspan: 10 in
- Length: 5.5 in
- Weight: 0.7 oz
Even in urban centers, you can spot the cheerful House Finch from coast to coast. Don’t be surprised if you spot it in your own backyard!
However, only adult male birds have this visibly orange chest. During molting, it’s easier to see the true orange color.
Plus, the bird’s diet can play a role in its plumage color, thanks to carotenoid pigments. That’s why its chest can be a vivid red, a muted orange, or a pale yellow.
- Scientific name: P. pyrrhula
- Wingspan: 10 in
- Length: 6.5 in
- Weight: 0.8 oz
Male Bullfinches have quite the color palette, from the gray mantle going to the orange chest and up to the white rump.
Sadly, it’s not as common as other birds on the list. It’s not even native to the States, but if you’re lucky enough to come across one of those, their bulky appearance is unmistakable!
- Scientific name: Fringilla coelebs
- Wingspan: 10 in
- Length: 5.7 in
- Weight: 0.8-1 oz
The Chaffinch is a UK bird known for its sharp profile from a grayish top to an orange throat and chest.
Unlike the Eurasian Bullfinch, the chest of the chaffinch is more of a burnt color than a vivid flame-like orange.
This shade gets even darker as the weather gets colder. In the winter, Chaffinches usually travel with flocks of Brambling.
- Scientific name: Fringilla montifringilla
- Wingspan: 10 in
- Length: 5.5 in
- Weight: 0.8 oz
The Brambling is a small passerine type of finch native to Europe and Asia. With a glossy black head and orange underparts, it’s often confused with the chaffinch.
To see the sharpest hue of this bird’s orange chest, you’ll have to spot a male showing off its breeding plumage.
It’s regularly spotted in Alaska during the migration, and some stray all the way down south to Colorado. In urban areas, it’s definitely not a shy bird, and it might even use bird feeders.
- Scientific name: Saxicola rubicola
- Wingspan: 7-8 in
- Length: 5 in
- Weight: 0.5 oz
The European Stonechat is a perky lover of the open country, so it’s not hard to spot if you know where to look.
Both male and female Stonechat are orange-chested. However, you can tell them apart by their head color since males are black on top.
Don’t rush with your identification, though. It’s eerily similar to the Whinchat!
- Scientific name: Saxicola rubetra
- Wingspan: 8-9.5 in
- Length: 5 in
- Weight: 0.7 oz
To the casual observer, the Stonechats and Whinchats are indistinguishable. In fact, both are closely related.
However, Whinchats have a white streak on the side of the eye, while stonechats don’t. Plus, the orange tinge on the whinchats is usually paler.
The sad news here is that the whinchat is now considered an endangered bird on the RSPB’s Red List.
- Scientific name: Phoenicurus phoenicurus
- Wingspan: 8 in
- Length: 5.5 in
- Weight: 0.5 oz
The common variety of the redstart has an orange chest that contrasts with a solid black face and helmet-like wash of gray. On the first glimpse, it looks a bit like a robin.
Keep in mind that only the male birds have these vivid colors. The female counterparts are much faded.
Don’t confuse it with the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) bird, though. Both birds share a name, but they aren’t even related.
The American one’s chest isn’t entirely orange. It’s mostly full of white underparts with bright orange on the sides.
Orange Belly Birds
FAQ
What kind of bird has an orange belly?
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Appearance:American Robins are gray-brown birds with warm orange undersides (belly and breast) and dark heads.
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Habitat:They are found in a variety of habitats, including lawns, fields, city parks, woodlands, forests, and mountains.
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Diet:Their diet consists of insects, fruit, earthworms, and other invertebrates.
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Other birds with orange bellies
What bird has a rust orange chest?
The American Robin is common across North America. With its bright orange-red chest, it’s often seen hopping around lawns and gardens in search of worms and insects. Interestingly, American Robins are among the first birds to start singing at dawn, and their cheerful song is a harbinger of spring.
What is a brown bird with orange undersides?
American Robin
Robins exist all over the continent, but mainly in open woodland areas • Their diet consists of insects and fruit. Fairly large songbirds with a large, round body, long legs, and fairly long tail. They are gray-brown birds with warm orange undersides and dark heads.
Is there a sparrow with an orange breast?
The orange-breasted waxbill (Amandava subflava), also known as the zebra waxbill, is a small (approximately 9 cm long) sparrow-like bird with a reddish iris, orange breast, red bill and dark olive-green plumage. The male has a red rump, dark bars on the whitish flank and a scarlet eyebrow stripe.
What birds have orange bellies?
One of the most common birds in North America, The American Robin, is known for its orange belly. Males of the species have vivid orange bellies and blackheads. Females are highly similar but maybe duller in coloring. Their orange bellies might be closer to light brown than to the vivid orange nuance of male bellies.
Do birds have orange belly?
When it comes to sporting a vivid or dark orange belly, men typically have the upper hand. On their bellies, some male birds even exhibit hints of both brilliant and dark orange. Rarely, females may additionally have an orange abdomen. Nonetheless, compared to their male counterparts with orange bellies, females are typically duller in color.
Do birds with orange bellies live in the United States?
While birds with orange bellies may be small, measuring up to 10 inches in most cases, they can travel thousands of miles for food. A good percentage of birds with orange bellies are found in The United States. They live here either permanently or for a short period of the year.
Do hummingbirds have orange bellies?
In the United States, there are numerous orange-breasted bird species with orange bellies. But typically, these vivid hues don’t show up until after they are two or three years old. Several species of hummingbirds, orioles, cardinals, and blackbirds are among the most commonly observed orange-bellied birds.
Do kingbirds have orange belly?
The Eastern kingbird is a type of bird with an orange belly that can be found throughout North America east of the Rockies, including much of Canada and the northern U.S. west of the Mississippi River, except for Minnesota and Wisconsin. This beautiful species has a black head, beak, and throat, while their abdomen is an attractive orange color.
Where do orange bellies live?
A good percentage of birds with orange bellies are found in The United States. They live here either permanently or for a short period of the year. They are particularly common around The Rocky Mountains and The Great Basin. They may stray from Central America, an area many birds like due to its arid and even tropical and subtropical climates.