A Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis), is a songbird classified in the family Cardinalidae. Northern Cardinals are unique among songbirds because both the male and female sing. Typically only male songbirds sing.
Physical Characteristics
The male’s body is a bright red, with a black mask and throat. The female’s body is pale brown overall with red tinges on the wings and tail. Both the male and female have a crest(a set of extended feathers) on their heads. Juvenile birds are similar in appearance to the female but have a grayish-black beak.
| Length | 21-23 cm(8”-9”) |
| Wingspan | 25-31 cm(9.8”-1’) |
| Weight | 42-48 gm(1.5-1.7 oz) |
Range
Northern Cardinals do not migrate, they are year-round resident birds. Northern Cardinals can be found throughout much of the eastern United States. This species can also be found in Mexico; as well as Belize, and Guatemala. In Canada Northern Cardinals can be found in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. It has been introduced to Hawaii, and Bermuda.
Habitat
Northern Cardinals inhabits forests, overgrown fields, marshy thickets, and mesquite.
Breeding
The female builds the nest out of twigs, she uses her beak and feet to shape the twigs into a cup shape. The nest is lined with grasses, stems, rootlets, and pine needles. The nest is 5.1-7.62 cm(2-3 inches)tall, 10.16 cm(4 inches) across, with an inner diameter of about 7.62(3 inches). It takes 3 to 9 days to build the nest.
The female lays 2-5 eggs per clutch. The eggs are 2.2-2.7 cm(0.9-1.1 inches) long and 1.7-2 cm(0.7-0.8 inches) wide. The eggs are grayish white, buffy white, or greenish white in color. The eggs are speckled with pale gray or brown. The incubation period is 11-13 days. When the chicks hatch they are altricial; they are blind and almost naked, except they are covered in sparse tufts of down.
Diet
Northern Cardinals eat primarily seeds and fruit but will occasionally eat invertebrates, such as; beetles, butterflies, centipedes, cicadas, crickets, flies, katydids, leafhoppers, spiders, and moths. Northern Cardinals feed their chicks mostly invertebrates.
Predators
Animals that prey on Northern Cardinals include the Long-Eared Owl(Asio otus), Eastern Screech-Owl(Megascops asio), falcons, hawks, and shrikes. Animals that prey on the chicks and eggs include the Blue Jay(Cyanocitta cristata), Eastern Chipmunk(Tamias striatus), Eastern Gray Squirrel(Sciurus carolinensis), Fox Squirrel(Sciurus niger), milk snakes, crows, and domestic cats.
Conservation Status
The Northern Cardinal is listed as least concern .
Fun Facts
- The Northern Cardinal is the state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.
- Northern Cardinals can live for 15 years.
- Northern Cardinals are really popular birds at Christmas time; its image is depicted on ornaments, decorations, and Christmas themed housewares.
- The Northern Cardinal is also known as the Redbird, Common Cardinal, Red Cardinal, or just Cardinal.
