General

Northern Cardinal: Large, crested finch with vivid red body. Black mask and chin contrast with heavy, red bill. Female is duller, washed with gray, and has smaller crest. Juvenile resembles female but is browner and has dark bill.

Range and Habitat

Northern Cardinal: Resident in eastern U.S. and much of Mexico. Preferred habitats include forest edges, lowlands, and suburban areas.

Breeding and Nesting

Northern Cardinal: Three to four pale green, blue, or gray eggs with gray, purple, and brown marks are laid in a nest made of twigs, weeds, grass, bark strips, and leaves. Nest is lined with hair and grass, and built in a low tree or bush, or set in tangled twigs or vines, usually less than 5 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 12 to 13 days and in carried out mostly by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Northern Cardinal: Eats seeds, insects, fruits, and snails; forages in trees, bushes, and on the ground.

Readily Eats

Safflower, Apple Slices, Suet, Millet, Peanut Kernels, Fruit

Vocalization

Northern Cardinal: Sings a variety of gurgling and clear whistled melodies, with more than twenty-five different songs. Best-known phrases include "whoit cheer, whoit cheer, cheer-cheer-cheer", "cheer, whoit-whoit-whoit-whoit", "wheat-wheat-wheat-wheat", and "bir-dy,bir-dy,bir-dy,bir-dy." Female sings duets with male during courtship. Call is an abrasive metallic "chip" or "pik."

Similar Species

Northern Cardinal: Pyrrhuloxia has a stubby, sharply curved yellow bill, red eye-ring, gray upperparts, and red wash on throat and underparts.