Have you noticed a bird with an orange chest?
Some spectacular birds are out there with brilliant orange plumage on their chests. From robins to orioles, these birds stand out against green forests and blue skies.
Here is a complete list of birds with orange chests. These birds are from around the world, from Europe to Asia and Central America.
15 birds with orange chests:
- Europe Robin
- Common Kingfisher
- Bullfinch
- American Robin
- Chaffinch
- Varied Thrush
- Flame-coloured Tanager
- Baltimore Oriole
- Orange-headed Thrush
- Daurian Redstart
- Allen’s Hummingbird
- Western Bluebird
- Flame Robin
- Eastern Bluebird
- Northern Red Bishop
European Robin – One of the Most Recognisable Orange-Chested Birds
A small bird with an orange chest is the European robin. The robin is a familiar, cute, fat bird species throughout Europe. Its bright orange breast, grey back and white under-tail make it easy to identify.
Robins are territorial and will defend their feeding areas aggressively against intruders. They have a beautiful fluted song and are among the first birds to start singing at dawn.
Robins predominantly eat insects, worms and berries. They often follow gardeners to catch insects unearthed by digging. In winter, robins rely more on berries and fruit.
They are prolific breeders, raising to three broods per year. The robin’s orange breast feathers serve an essential purpose. The bright colour warns other robins to stay away from their territory.
Common Kingfisher – Dives for Fish
The common kingfisher is a bright blue bird with an orange chest. They are small birds with long beaks, short-tails and a large head. They have a blue-greenish head, wings, a white chin, an orange-brown chest, and an underside. Females are identical to males apart from having a lower orange mandible. Juveniles are similar to adults but have duller colours.
They nest in burrows alongside the riverbanks where they fish. They perch on branches overhanging the river in search of fish. When they have detected a fish, they bob their head up and down to gauge the distance before diving. They dive no deeper than 25 cm (10 in).
They inhabit Europe and parts of Asia and only migrate from places where the rivers freeze over in the winter, migrating as far as North Africa. Kingfishers are used to guide how healthy a river is as they hunt fish with their eyesight. If a river is heavily populated, they cannot see any fish.
Bullfinch – Brightens Up Woodlands in its Bright Orange Vest
Eurasia, or common bullfinch, is a small, bulky bird with an orange chest. Both males and females have a grey back, black head, and black-tipped wings and tails. They only differ in colour on their chest and underside. Males are pinkish-orange, while females are a pale brown, greyish colour. Juveniles have similar plumage to females.
They live across Europe and in temperate forests in Asia. They prefer to nest in thick bushes and hedges. They feed on seeds and buds on fruit trees. For centuries in England, local parishes placed bounties on bullfinches with a reward for each bullfinch killed. But gladly, this practice has stopped, and bullfinch numbers have rebounded.
American Robin – A Classic Symbol of Spring
No bird signals the arrival of spring in North America quite like the American robin. These familiar thrushes are some of the continent’s earliest nesters. As the snow melts, the male’s cheerful songs ring out as he proclaims his breeding territory.
The American robin has glossy grey-brown upperparts and rich orange underparts. A bold eye ring and speckled breast complete its classic look. Robins hop across lawns in search of earthworms and other insect prey. Come autumn, they gorge on berries before joining massive migratory flocks.
Seeing the robin’s orange breast against snowy backdrops is a sure sign warmer weather is on the way. Robins build their nests in tree crooks and ledges, using mud to cement their basket-like homes together. The female incubates 3-5 eggs for about two weeks before they hatch. They are the only birds to lay blue eggs on this list.
The American robin is one of North America’s most abundant birds, with Partners in Flight estimating their numbers to be 366 million breeding individuals.
Chaffinch – Adds Some Colour to the Winter Landscape
Male chaffinches have a pink to orange chest with a blue-greyish crown and brown back. Females are dull with shades of brown and grey, with juveniles resembling females.
The chaffinch is a small, familiar bird member of the finch family. Chaffinches inhabit most of Europe, northwestern Africa and eastwards across Asia as far as the Angara River and south of Lake Baikal.
The chaffinch will only migrate from colder regions. They mainly eat seeds and only catch and feed on insects during the breeding season. Chicks are only fed invertebrates.
Varied Thrush – Brings a Hint of the Tropics to the Pacific Northwest
The varied thrush is a black bird with an orange chest that lives along the western coast of North America from California to Alaska. Males have contrasting black and orange feathers. A black band breaks up their orange chest and throat.
Female’s black feathers are replaced with olive-brown and have less defined orange chests. Young, varied thrushes are similar to females but have a white underbelly. When northern birds migrate, they can end up in any state in America. They choose thick coniferous trees to raise their young in.
Flame-Coloured Tanager – Brings the Heat to the South American Rainforests
The flame-coloured tanager is a songbird that inhabits Mexico and stretches down to Panama. The male’s head, chest and underparts are a fiery flame red-orange colour, hence their name. Their back and wings are brown with white streaks. Females have similar markings, but their red-orange feathers are replaced with yellow-green.
They live in the humid canopy of the montane forest. They seek out the tallest trees when nesting in gardens and coffee plantations. They feed on arthropods and a variety of berries.
Baltimore Oriole – Brings a Ray of Sunshine on Spring Days
The Baltimore oriole is an orange-breasted bird with a black head. Baltimore orioles breed in Northeastern America, then migrate south to Mexico and Central America.
The male Baltimore’s chest and belly range from yellow to orange, with the rest of its feathers black. The female’s orange or yellow body is duller, with the remaining plumage a yellower brown.
They eat insects, berries and nectar. They are often seen in gardens feeding on nectar from hummingbird feeders. Their favourite prey is the forest tent caterpillar moth. They remove the caterpillar’s protective hairs by hitting it against a branch before eating.
They are picky eaters regarding fruit, only feeding on ripe fruit. The Baltimore oriole gets its name from the 17th century Lord Baltimore, as the male colours resembled the coat of arms.
Orange-Headed Thrush – Brightens up the Forest Understory
The orange-headed thrush is a brightly coloured orange bird from the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Southern China. Males have a completely orange head and body, greyish blue back, wings, and tail.
Females resemble males but have olive-brown hues instead of greyish-blue. Juveniles are dull brown and grey. Orange-headed thrush is a shy, secretive bird that feeds in thick undergrowth for safety and is active mainly at dawn and dusk. They probe the fallen leaves for insects and fruit.
Daurian Redstart – Brings Colour to an Otherwise Bleak Landscape
The Daurian redstart is a small orange-chested bird found in Korea, Manchuria, southeastern Russia, northeastern Mongolia and central China. They enjoy open woodland and are commonly seen in gardens. Like the European robin, they are confident birds, allowing people to get close.
Males have a grey crown, black face, and brownish wings with a white patch. Their chest, rump and tail are orange. In their orange plumage, females are similar to males but have warm brown instead of black feathers.
Allen’s Hummingbird – Shimmers Like a Brilliant Orange Jewel
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Allen’s hummingbird is another small bird with an orange chest. Male Allen’s hummingbirds have a bright green back and head, with a reddish-orange throat and breast. The iridescent green feathers on the back and head can appear to be a darker green or even black in certain lighting conditions.
The throat and breast feathers are bright and shiny and appear almost metallic in the sunlight. The male’s wings are also iridescent and appear bright orange or reddish when in flight.
The female Allen’s hummingbird is generally duller in colour than the male, with a greenish-grey back and white throat. She has a few iridescent feathers on her head, but they are not as bright as the males. The female’s wings are also iridescent but are a more muted green colour.
Allen’s hummingbirds are graceful birds for their acrobatic flight, hovering mid-air while feeding on nectar from flowers or feeders. They have a high metabolism and must consume large amounts of nectar to fuel their flight, sometimes visiting up to 1,000 flowers daily. They also eat small insects and spiders for protein.
During the breeding season, the male Allen’s hummingbird performs an elaborate courtship display, flying high into the air and diving steeply, producing a loud whistling sound with his wings.
Western Bluebird – Brings Joy to the Open Countryside
The western bluebird is a small, colourful, orange-breasted bird native to western North America. The male has a bright blue head, back, wings, rust-coloured sides, and a white belly. The female is less brightly coloured, with a duller blue head and back and a greyish-brown belly. Both males and females have distinctive orange-brown breasts.
Western bluebirds are monogamous, meaning they mate for life. They are also very friendly birds, often forming large flocks outside the breeding season. They are cavity-nesting birds, nesting in holes in trees or nest boxes.
They feed mainly on insects and berries and are often found in open woodlands, meadows, and orchards. The western bluebird is one of three bluebird species found in North America, the other two being the eastern bluebird and the mountain bluebird.
Flame Robin – Lights Up the Forests of Southeast Australia
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The flame robin is a small, stocky black bird with an orange chest. The species reside in eucalyptus forests and woodlands of southeastern Australia.
As its name hints, the male flame robin has spectacular bright flaming orange plumage covering his breast, throat, forehead and shoulders. Meanwhile, the female boasts a paler yellow-orange wash below.
These little robins spend their time in the shaded understory scanning for insects like ants, beetles and moths. The male flame robin advertises his territory with a sweet, slightly descending whistle while swaying side to side. Flame robins breed in natural tree hollows lined with grass and feathers.
The male’s brilliant orange plumage lights up the dim forests like a tiny torch.
Eastern Bluebird – A Breath of Fresh Air After Winter
The eastern bluebird is a blue bird with an orange chest. It is a species of bird that belongs to the thrush family. It is a small, stocky bird with a round body shape and a short, pointed bill.
The males have bright blue heads, backs, and wings, while the females are duller in colour with blue-grey wings and tail feathers. They have light orange chests and white undersides.
Eastern bluebirds are found in most of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, Southern Canada, and Central America. They are primarily insectivorous and tend to catch insects on the ground.
Northern Red Bishop – Flaunts His Bright Feathers to Attract a Mate
The northern red bishop is a small weaver finch found in warm, open wetlands across sub-Saharan Africa. This stubby songbird lives in massive, fast-moving flocks for most of the year. But when the breeding season arrives, the male northern red bishop steals the show.
He moults into his spectacular breeding plumage with a black face, thick black beak, and deep burnt orange chest feathers. Meanwhile, the female remains in her subtle streaked brown plumage year-round.
The dazzling male bishop flutters over the grasslands like a flying flame to display his gorgeous colours. His plumage signals his fitness to potential mates in the flock. If that doesn’t get the girls’ attention, his elaborate courtship songs and dances surely help!