The male Northern Cardinal is bright red with black around the base of its reddish bill. The female is grayish tan with reddish wings, tail and crest. The face of both the male and female is black at the base of the reddish bill.
Nesting:
Nests are usually built in small trees or shrubs, 1 to 15 feet
above the ground. The nest is constructed from twigs, bark strips, vines, leaves, hair, and grass. Clutch will contain 2 to 5 eggs and incubation lasts 12 to 13 days.
Range:
A Few Things You Probably Didn't Know:
At your feeder you may see mate feeding
between a mating pair of Cardinals. The male will pick up a seed and take it to the female. They will momentarily touch beaks as she takes the food. This may occur as often as four times per minute.
The female will often sing from the nest to
alert the male that it is time to bring food.
The male Cardinal is very territorial
and will vigorously defend his breeding territory. He may even fight
his own reflection if he sees it in a window.
Click here for more information on how to attract a Northern Cardinal and many other species of wild birds.
Please tell us about the Northern Cardinals visiting your feeders.
Northern Cardinals are one of the most beautiful birds to visit our backyard feeders. Unfortunately not everyone gets to see them. If you are fortunate enough to see them in your yard please tell us about them.
What type of feeders do you use? What type of food did they eat? My readers would love to hear your story. It is easy to do just fill in the areas below and you can even add pictures. One you're finished you will have your very own page published with your name in the title!
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My Grandmother's legacy
I never gave much thought to birds as I had lived in a city apartment most of my adult life. My Grandmother however LOVED Cardinals. For gift giving occasions,...
Female Cardinal
I have a female cardinal at my window of my office she sits on a bush outside my window then flies to the window like she is trying to get in. Then she ...
Cardinal Love Story
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I see the same cardinal pair show up in my yard everyday and I think they may even be nesting in our cedar hedges now. They are so cute as they follow ...