i have recently had a very beautiful bird visiting our bird feeder here in
Austin. I would like to find an online source that would help me ID this
bird. anyone have any good links with pictures of birds in Central Texas?

the bird looks sort of like a Cardinal, except for the fact that it is
more
orange than red, and a bit smaller. It has a black patch around it's
beak,
and sort of a mohawk on it's head. anyone have an idea what it is?

TB in Austin

It's a female cardinal.
I'm looking in my American Bird Conservancy's Field Guide
Female olive-brown with red tinges
The picture is just like you describe, pale orange with browner wings, black
around the bill and eyes with the same prominent red crest on the head.

I looked online briefly:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/program...Northern_Cardi
nal.html
With hope and heart,
Kathleen