The next time you notice a mixed flock of various bird species congregating in your backyard, scan the hungry crowd for a stocky, gray-crested bird with a white belly, peach coloring on its flanks ...

While it’s clear that these gorgeous crested birds do resemble northern cardinals, with their dark gray and white feathers ...

Adult: dark gray face and breast (slightly paler throat ... Tails of juvenile brown-cresteds and ash-throateds are like the great crested’s but overall paler and lack broad white stripe on ...

The great crested has a darker gray face and breast; olive wash on sides of breast; broad white edge to innermost secondary; all-rufous inner webs of tail feathers; orange-yellow mouth lining ...