The Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis
cardinalis - is found in southern Canada,
through the eastern United States
from Maine to Texas
and south through Mexico.
It is found in woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and swamps.
Description
The male is slightly larger than
the female. The male is a brilliant crimson red with a black face mask over the
eyes, extending to the upper chest. The color is dullest on the back and wings.
The female is fawn, with mostly grayish-brown tones and a slight reddish tint
on the wings, the crest, and the tail feathers. The face mask of the female is
gray to black and is less defined than that of the male. Both sexes possess
prominent raised crests and bright coral-colored beaks. The beak is cone-shaped
and strong. Young birds, both male and female, show the coloring similar to the
adult female until the fall, when they molt and grow adult feathers.
Call
The Northern Cardinal is a
territorial song bird. The male sings in a loud, clear whistle from the top of
a tree or another high location to defend his territory. He will chase off
other males entering his territory. Both sexes sing clear, whistled song
patterns, which are repeated several times, then varied. It has a distinctive
alarm call, a short metallic 'chip' sound.
Food
The diet of the Northern Cardinal
consists mainly of weed, grains, and fruits. It is a ground feeder and finds
food while hopping on the ground through trees or shrubbery. It also eats
insects. During the summer months, it shows preference for seeds that are
easily husked, but is less selective during winter, when food is scarce.
Northern Cardinals feed their young almost exclusively on insects.
Breeding
Pairs mate for life, and they
stay together year-round. During courtship, the male feeds seed to the female
beak-to-beak. Males sometimes bring nest material to the female, who does most
of the building. The female builds a cup nest in a well-concealed spot in dense
shrub or a low tree one to three meters off the ground. A clutch of three
to four eggs is laid. The eggs are white, with a tint of green, blue or brown,
and are marked with lavender, gray, or brown blotches which are thicker around
the larger end. Incubation takes 12 to 13 days. Young fledge 10 to 11 days
after hatching. Two to three, and even four, broods are raised each year. The
male cares for and feeds each brood as the female incubates the next clutch.
Conservation Status – Least Concern.
It was once prized as a pet, but
its sale as cage birds is now banned. It has an estimated global range of
5,800,000 square kilometers and a global population estimated to be about
100,000,000 individuals.
Birdwatching
The Northern Cardinal is found in
residential areas throughout its range. Backyard birders attract it using
feeders containing seeds. A common species throughout its range.
West
Virginia Birding Hotspots
Yankauer Nature
Preserve
Allegheny
Mountains
The Monongahela National Forest
Hanging Rock
Raptor Observatory
Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge