The southeastern United States was once the stronghold of the cardinal population.
Cardinals are a widespread species, ranging westward to the Dakotas and south to the Gulf Coast and Texas. Immature cardinals resemble females except young cardinals boast dark bills. Female cardinals are soft brown in color, with varying degrees of a reddish tinge in their feathers, particularly in their wings. The female, although less colorful, is also crested. The male boasts crimson plumage, a crest, a black face and orange bill. How many Christmas cards did you receive this holiday season with a cardinal featured in the artwork? I’d wager that at least a few cards in any assortment of holiday greetings will feature the likeness of a Northern cardinal.Ĭardinals are easily identified. Over the years, the Northern Cardinal has become closely associated with the Christmas season. Both the Northern cardinal and red-crested cardinal have been introduced into the state of Hawaii, so two non-native birds from different parts of the globe are now resident in the Aloha State.
Two other South American birds - red-crested cardinal and yellow-billed cardinal - are more closely related to tanagers than to our familiar Northern cardinal. The two relatives are the Pyrrhuloxia, or Cardinalis sinuatus, of the southwestern United States, and the Vermilion cardinal, or phoeniceus, a bird found in Colombia and Venezuela. There are only two other species in this genus, and they range across North America and into northern South America. The Northern Cardinal belongs to a genus of birds known as Cardinalis in the family Cardinalidae. The Northern cardinal, especially the brilliant red male, stands out against a winter backdrop of snow white, deep green or drab gray. There’s one bird, however, that stands out in any season. Often, when we think of the birds of the winter season, our thoughts focus on some of the less-than-colorful feeder visitors - the brown sparrows and wrens, the black and white chickadees, the drab American goldfinches so unlike their summer appearance. We’ll celebrate another Christmas in a few days, and I hope everyone enjoys a great holiday that just might also include watching some birds. Cardinals are easily attracted to feeders offering sunflower seeds.(Photo by Bryan Stevens) Although the female Northern cardinal lacks the brighter coloration of a male, she is still an attractive songbird.
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