CC BY 2.0 · patricia pierce · source
Quick Facts
- Type
- Bird
- Size
- 21–23 cm body length
- Weight
- 33–65 g
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, dense shrubs, suburban gardens, and hedgerows in eastern North America
- Diet
- Herbivore — seeds, berries, and wild fruits
- Active Time
- Diurnal, singing prominently at dawn and dusk
- Lifespan
- 3 years in the wild, up to 15 years in captivity
Field Notes
- Female northern cardinals are one of the few female songbirds in North America that sing, communicating with their mate from inside the nest.
- Male cardinals derive their brilliant red colour from carotenoid pigments in food — males in better condition with better diets are more intensely red.
- Northern cardinals expanded their range northward by over 500 km during the twentieth century, partly due to the widespread adoption of bird feeders.
About the Northern Cardinal
The northern cardinal is among the most beloved backyard birds in North America, the male's brilliant all-red plumage making it unmistakable at feeders and in hedgerows. Unlike most songbirds, female cardinals also sing — an unusual trait used to communicate with mates from the nest. Cardinals do not migrate and the male's red colour intensifies through winter, making them particularly striking against snow. Their heavy conical bill is specially adapted for cracking hard seeds. The species has expanded its range northward over the twentieth century, partly aided by the proliferation of bird feeders.
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