Photo Share: Brilliant Cardinal

A male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) perched in the branches of an apple tree. Photos taken by Ken Thomas.

Northern cardinals affect humans by dispersing seeds and eating insect pests such as boll weevils, cutworms, and caterpillars. They are also an attractive visitor to backyard birdfeeders.

Their diet consists mainly (up to 90%) of seeds and fruits. They also eat some insects and feed their young insects almost exclusively.

Northern cardinals also eat some insects and feed their young almost exclusively insects.

Northern cardinals also eat some insects and feed their young almost exclusively insects.

Northern cardinals also eat some insects and feed their young almost exclusively insects.

If anyone else would like to share a photograph of nature send it to bloubird@gmail.com and I'll put it on the Friday Photo posts.

Related Articles:
- Cardinal Fun Facts
- How Cardinals were named 
- Cardinal Feeders Made in USA
- How to Attract Cardinals
- What foods make cardinals redder  

Category › Friday Photo

Photo Share:Baby Cardinal

Northern Cardinals are a perfect combination of conspicuousness and style. Adult males are a brilliant shade of red you can’t miss and the adult females are a warm brown with subtle red accents.

Baby Cardinals are another thing altogether. The old wives tale "ugly in the cradle, beauty at the table" comes to mind. The fledgling in the photo seems to have made it out of the bug-eyed, “ugly” stage, is moving through the gangly stage and on a sure path to “beauty”.

Young Northern Cardinals have ashy brown feathers and black bills rather than the orange-red of the adults. They change gradually to their adult coloration three to four months after hatching.

This photo of a fledgling Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) approximately one week after leaving the nest is by Ken Thomas.

He also took the photo to the right of a male cardinal offering food to a female. This ritual is a common part of the Cardinal's mating behavior, and allows the male to demonstrate his ability to provide food for their young.

Related Articles:

- Baby birds at the feeders http://goo.gl/UGCokz

- Cardinals mate for life http://goo.gl/Fz1CSR
- Cardinal Fun Facts http://bit.ly/twE6NV 

- Cardinal Bird Feeders: http://bit.ly/qXJPFM
- How the Cardinal was named http://bit.ly/tSKZYs  

- What can I feed the cardinals to make them redder? http://bit.ly/rAArXw
  
Thank you for sharing your photo! If anyone else would like to share a photograph of nature send it to bloubird@gmail.com and I'll put it on the Friday Photo posts.

Category › Friday Photo

Northern Cardinal

 Northern Cardinal

Facts

Weight : 1.25–2 oz.
Length : 7.5–8.5"
Wingspan : 10.25–12"
Sexual Maturity : 1 year
Breeding Season : March–August
Number of Eggs : 2–5,usually 3–4
Incubation Period : 12–13 days
Fledging Period : 10–11 days
Breeding Interval : Up to 4 broods a year
Typical Diet : Seeds, berries and insects
Lifespan : Up to 28.5 years in captivity


Key Features

• Both male and female sing year-round and have an extensive repertoire of calls.
• Bright-red plumage and bold nature make the bird a familiar sight.
• The cardinal rarely migrates and usually does not wander more than a few miles from its home.
• Can adapt to habitats ranging from deep forests to city gardens.

Found in Canada, the United States from Maine to Florida and as far west as Minnesota and the western prairies in the Southwest, south to Mexico and Belize; also in Bermuda and Hawaii.

The Northern cardinal displays a unique combination of bold song, color and character; it prefers to stay close to the place of its birth and rarely migrates.

Habitat

Also known as the red-bird, the northern cardinal lives in dense thickets along field borders, in hedges, swamps, stream banks, parks and gardens. The habitat of this mainly nonmigratory bird is temperate, but its range can include desert conditions. On the arid Marias Islands off Mexico, the cardinal gets enough water by drinking the early-morning dew. The cardinal lives year-round from the Dakotas, southern Ontario, and Nova Scotia to the Gulf Coast, and from southern Texas west through Arizona and south through Mexico to Guatemala. The bird was introduced in Hawaii in 1929.

Feeding

Seeds, fruits, insects and spiders make up the cardinal’s diet. In the wild, the cardinal gleans food from nearby trees and shrubs. Its wedge-shaped beak allows the bird to eat all kinds of seeds, which it holds with its grooved, upper mandible while moving the lower mandible forward to crush and husk the seed. The bird then swallows the seed’s inner “meat.” During fall, the cardinal ascends to tops of trees and bushes in search of grapes and berries; in the winter, the bird picks up seeds and forages around haystacks at farms. The more domesticated cardinals collect food from town gardens as well as from backyard bird feeders, favoring sunflower seeds and cracked corn. Their full menu includes 51 kinds of insects and spiders, 33 kinds of fruit and 39 types of seeds.

Behavior

The cardinal’s song plays a role in all aspects of its life, from

socialization to courtship to nesting. The male swells his throat,

spreads his tail and drops his wing as he sways from side to side,

appearing to delight at the sound of his own voice. Females begin

singing their softer song in March, while males sing year-round. Both sexes defend their territories, usually a few acres in size, through the songs that they sing. The female drives out intruding females, and the males fiercely guard against other males. Songs also serve as signals, letting respective partners know when they are coming or going. The young can sing as early as 3 weeks old, but they do not aquire adult phrasing for two months.

Did you Know 

• Northern cardinals are named for the brilliant red robes worn by the Roman Catholic cardinals.
• The cardinal is the state bird of several northern and southeastern states, including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.
• According to Cherokee legend, the northern cardinal was originally brown in color. The bird helped a wolf, which, in thanks, told the cardinal where to find a rock with red paint. The cardinal then painted himself red.

Breeding

Fiercely loyal, the cardinal forms strong bonds and mates for life. During courtship, the male not only serenades his prospective mate but also feeds her. The love serenade is clear and sweet, often lasting all day. Nest building starts in March and April. The female builds a cuplike nest made of dry leaves and twigs, usually in a tree 4–5' above ground near a stream used for drinking and bathing.She adds grass and grapevines to complete the woven structure, before adding a final lining of softer materials, including rootlets and hair. It takes her about 3–9 days to complete the structure; she builds for a few hours in the morning, then a few more in the evening. The male continues his song as the female incubates the 3–4 dull white eggs with brown spots. The hatchlings are blind and helpless, with pink skin sparsely covered with gray down. Depending on the region, the cardinal pair raises from 2–4 broods during the season. The male brings insects to the young, which have large gaping mouths with red linings — easy

targets when being fed. The male also guards the first nest, while the female prepares a new nest, usually about 30' away. Once the new young hatch, the juveniles of the first brood, about 3–4 weeks old, are chased from the parents’ territory.

Conservation

With the northern cardinal’s ability to adapt to almost any environment, this abundant species does not appear to be in any immediate danger. The bird has adapted to the Everglades of Florida and the evergreens of New York, the deserts of Mexico and suburban gardens of New Hampshire. Though sought after for the caged-bird trade in the 19th century because of its songs and brilliant plumage, the northern cardinal is currently protected. Its domestic nature, brilliant color and pleasant song make the bird welcome at bird feeders in gardens and backyards in populated areas throughout its range.

The northern cardinal is a familiar and welcome sight in its yearround homes, with its rich red plumage and melodic songs.

Bill

The short, wedge-shaped  red bill has sharp edges,  which allow the cardinal  to crack open large and  tough seeds. The lower  mandible is broader  than the upper mandible  and very strong.

Female

The predominantly brown female has a crest similar to the male’s; her tail, however, is proportionately shorter than the male’s. The base of the bill has a blackish-gray area, but it is not as noticeable as the male’s.

Male plumage

Apart from its black mask and bib, the male cardinal’s colorings are eye-catching shades of scarlet. The male’s brilliant red plumage is slightly glossed; the tufted crown is pointed, and can be raised and lowered at will.

Feet

The strong legs and feet are adapted mainly for perching. The feet have three toes facing forward and one behind; all toes have slender claws for support.

Juvenile

The young cardinal resembles an adult female, but is a richer brown with a darker bill. Its crown feathers are not as long as an adult’s. By the end of the first fall molt, the juvenile will attain adult plumage, but the bill-color change takes a few extra weeks.

Related Species

The northern cardinal is one of several species in the genus Cardinalis. Its closest relative in North America is the pyrrhuloxia, C. sinuatus; a South American relative is the vermilion cardinal, C. phoeniceus. These birds are among 47 species in the family Emberizidae. The family includes the yellow cardinal, Gubernatrix cristata, as well as the red-capped cardinal, Paroaria gularis.

Category › Cardinal

List of all the birds named Cardinal

The only cardinal bird in Michigan is the Northern Cardinal. The term "Northern" in the common name refers to its range, because they are only found in the Northern Hemisphere. And the “Cardinal” name was derived from the vivid red plumage of the male, which resembles the robes of the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church.

But there are actually several birds in the world with the name Cardinal. Cardinalisis a genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae and there are three species ranging across North and South America. 

1. Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis 

2. Pyrrhuloxia (Desert Cardinal), Cardinalis sinuatus 

3. Vermilion Cardinal, Cardinalis phoeniceus 

Paroaria, the red-headed cardinals or cardinal-tanagers are not close to the Cardinalidaebut are related to tanagers. They all look similar to a skinny Northern Cardinal, with a pointier yellowish bill. Their heads have large amounts of bright red and short crests while their bodies are white below and dark grey to black above.

The six South American cardinals in the genus Paroariaare:

1. Red-crested Cardinal, Paroaria coronata
2. Red-cowled Cardinal, Paroaria dominicana
3. Red-capped Cardinal, Paroaria gularis
4. Masked Cardinal, Paroaria (gularis) nigrogenis
5. Crimson-fronted Cardinal, Paroaria baeri
6. Yellow-billed Cardinal, Paroaria capitata

There are also two birds named cardinal in the continent of Africa. The Cardinal Woodpecker, Dendropicos fuscescens and the Cardinal Quelea, Quelea cardinalis both sporting a red crown.

Related Articles:

• Northern Cardinal Fun Facts http://bit.ly/twE6NV 
• How the Northern Cardinal bird was named http://bit.ly/tSKZYs 
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• How to Attract Cardinals: http://bit.ly/pjh7mO 
• What can I feed the cardinals to make them redder? http://bit.ly/rAArXw

Category › Quick fun Facts

What are the different types of cardinal birds?

The only cardinal bird in Michigan is the Northern Cardinal. The term "Northern" in the common name refers to its range, because they are only found in the Northern Hemisphere. And the “Cardinal” name was derived from the vivid red plumage of the male, which resembles the robes of the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church.

But there are actually several birds in the world with the name Cardinal. Cardinalisis a genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae and there are three species ranging across North and South America. 

1. Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis 

2. Pyrrhuloxia (Desert Cardinal), Cardinalis sinuatus 

3. Vermilion Cardinal, Cardinalis phoeniceus 

Paroaria, the red-headed cardinals or cardinal-tanagers are not close to the Cardinalidaebut are related to tanagers.

They all look similar to a skinny Northern Cardinal, with a pointier yellowish bill. Their heads have large amounts of bright red and short crests while their bodies are white below and dark grey to black above.

The six South American cardinals in the genus Paroariaare:

1. Red-crested Cardinal, Paroaria coronata
2. Red-cowled Cardinal, Paroaria dominicana
3. Red-capped Cardinal, Paroaria gularis
4. Masked Cardinal, Paroaria (gularis) nigrogenis
5. Crimson-fronted Cardinal, Paroaria baeri
6. Yellow-billed Cardinal, Paroaria capitata

Related Articles:

• Northern Cardinal Fun Facts http://bit.ly/twE6NV 
• How the Northern Cardinal bird was named http://bit.ly/tSKZYs 
• Cardinal Bird Feeders Made in the USA: http://bit.ly/qXJPFM 
• How to Attract Cardinals: http://bit.ly/pjh7mO 
• What can I feed the cardinals to make them redder? http://bit.ly/rAArXw 
• Basic Instinct: Cardinal Feeds Goldfish http://bit.ly/slrItu 

Category › Bird of the week

How the Northern Cardinal bird was named

In 1758, the Cardinal was one of the many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. Based on appearance, Linnaeus thought the Cardinal was related to the Red Crossbill and gave it the genus Loxia cardinalis. Loxia is derived from the Greek loxos which means crosswise..

.

However taxonomists found the two species were not closely related. As a result in 1838, it was changed to the genus Cardinalis and given the scientific name Cardinalis virginianus, which means "Virginia Cardinal" because there were a lot of Cardinals in Virginia.

.

Then in 1918, the scientific name was changed to Richmondena cardinalis to honor Charles Wallace Richmond, an American ornithologist. But in 1983 that was changed again, to Cardinalis cardinalis and the common name was also changed to "Northern Cardinal.”

.
There are actually several bird species in the world with the name Cardinal. The term "Northern" in the common name refers to its range, as it is the only cardinal found in the Northern Hemisphere.

And the “Cardinal” name was derived from the vivid red plumage of the male, which resembles the robes of the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church.
.

Whatever the name, Cardinals are beautiful birds that are a favorite to watch year-round at mid-Michigan feeders.

Category › Bird of the week

How did the Northern Cardinal get its name?

In 1758, the Cardinal was one of the many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. Based on appearance, Linnaeus thought the Cardinal was related to the Red Crossbill and gave it the genus Loxia cardinalis. Loxia is derived from the Greek loxos which means crosswise..

.

However taxonomists found the two species were not closely related. Subsequently in 1838, it was changed to the genus Cardinalis and given the scientific name Cardinalis virginianus, which means "Virginia Cardinal" because there were a lot of Cardinals in Virginia.

.

Then in 1918, the scientific name was changed to Richmondena cardinalis to honor Charles Wallace Richmond, an American ornithologist. But in 1983 that was changed again, to Cardinalis cardinalis and the common name was also changed to "Northern Cardinal.”

.
There are actually several bird species in the world with the name Cardinal. The term "Northern" in the common name refers to its range, as it is the only cardinal found in the Northern Hemisphere.

And the “Cardinal” name was derived from the vivid red plumage of the male, which resembles the robes of the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church.
.

Whatever the name, Cardinals are beautiful birds that are a favorite to watch at mid-Michigan feeders.

Category › Nature up close

Are Cardinals Yoopers?: Michigan Upper Peninsula Residents

We are opening up our house in Northern Michigan and I was wondering why I don’t see as many cardinals up there. Our house in Lansing has lots of cardinals.

Even though the Northern Cardinal has northern attached to its name, it’s really a southern bird. However scientists have noted that their breeding range has been expanding up and out west gradually from the 1800s. This could be due to the milder winters or greater food availability (bird feeding stations). The increase of distribution range of the cardinal is also associated with man changing the landscape. Cardinals prefer the edges of forests and suburban areas, both types of habitat associated with increasing land development.

First recorded in south east Michigan in 1884, the cardinal was more frequently spotted in the early 1900’s across the lower and middle parts of the state. By 1960s they were colonizing further north and in the early 1990’s they were making their way to the Upper Peninsula. They’re still not as common up north as they are further south but just give them time.

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

Northern cardinals are medium-sized songbirds (8-9 in). The adult male is bright red with a black face and red bill. The adult female is buff-brown with a red tinge to the crest, wings and tail. Like the male, the face is black and the bill orange.

General

Backyard bird enthusiasts almost always want to attract the bright red Northern Cardinal. To landscape for cardinals plant evergreens, berry bushes, and fruit trees as part of the habitat. Cardinals nest from 4 to 8 feet off the ground in evergreens and dense shrubs and use fruit trees to provide food and shelter.

Behavior

Cardinals will eat beetles, cicadas, grasshoppers, and snails, but prefer wild fruit and berries, sunflower seeds, safflower, and nuts. They will feed on the ground or perch at hopper feeders, platform or tray feeders, and some tube feeders. Cardinals are often the first to visit a feeder in the morning and the last to stop by and grab a bite at night.

In winter cardinals generally flock together but by spring they pair up for nesting season. They are famous for their display of courtship feeding. The male picks up a bit of food and takes it over and places it on the female’s bill. Also as spring approaches you may hear the male sing several different songs to attract a mate and establish and defend his territory.

Category › Bird of the week