Photo by Ken Thomas, via Wikipedia Commons
The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a medium-sized songbird found throughout the Eastern and Southwestern US and (oddly enough) in some places on the islands of Hawaii and Oahu (successful introduction). Both male and female have a distinctive crest and orange beak. The male is red; female is brown with red on her crest and wing and tail.
Cardinals live year-round in their range, but will move to avoid extreme temperatures or food shortages. They live in woodlands, swamps and suburbs. As with other feeder birds, the Cardinal is subject to predation by backyard hawks.
The Cardinal can be extremely territorial; if another bird enters a place the Cardinal thinks is his, the bird will be chastised and likely chased away. It is, apparently, not unusual for male Cardinals to attack their own reflections, at least during breeding season. Some of them have been observed doing this for hours at a time.
Cardinals have a distinctive song, sung by both males and females, which they use to attract a mate, in courtship and to lay claim to territory. Since songs are learned, there are regional variations.
The bird's diet consists primarily of seeds (look at the design of that beak!), but as with most birds, it also eats bugs and fruit.
Places to look for information about the Northern Cardinal:
- The Cornell Lab of Ornithology site, All About Birds.
- The Wikipedia article on the Northern Cardinal.
