Bird of the Week: Northern Cardinal

Species: Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis

Family: Cardinalidae

Sign: Sagittarius 

Favorite hobby: Posing very picturesque-ly in a wintery setting

Dear reader,

Many who live in the US are familiar with this feisty little bird, commonly depicted as a flash of red against a festive snowy background. It is the state bird of seven states and the mascot of many, many sports teams. While the Northern Cardinal does not reside in Oregon, the first creature of this column to not, they are widely beloved. They reside year-round in much of North and Central America, particularly in the southern and eastern regions, though their residency does stray into the American Southwest and some unconnected western regions in Central America. Male Northern Cardinals are striking in their color, a solid bright red that tapers into black on the ends of its tail and wing feathers. They have a black mask around their eyes, beak, and throat. Female cardinals are a warm brown, which tapers into red on their wings, tail, and crest. Like the male cardinal, their beaks are red. Northern Cardinals have one of my favorite sexual dimorphism coloration cases, particularly because of the hints of red on the female. When I was younger, my kindergarten teacher told me that the world ran out of the color red for the female cardinal after using so much of it on her male counterpart, so she got the leftovers: inklings on the edges of her wings and the top of her head. 

Cardinals are feisty, and frequently dominate feeders over smaller birds. They have been known to attack their own reflections in windows or car mirrors in the spring. During their brooding time in spring and early summer, cardinals are obsessed with protecting their territory from intruders, and often do not give up their fruitless endeavor for several hours. They are nothing if not persistent! Cardinals’ finch-like beaks, a trait shared with many birds of their family, are suited to their diet of seeds and fruit like dogwood, buckwheat, wild grape, and corn. They particularly favor black oil sunflower seeds at bird feeders. Cardinals are not picky about their habitat, and can be found in dense shrubby areas including, but not limited to, ornamental lawns, regrowing forests, marshes, and backyards. They find conspicuous perches to sing from, though: it is a signature sound during summer evenings in the regions they reside in. Their song is clear and loud, a string of whistles often speeding up and ending in a trill. They sing throughout the year, but especially in the spring and summer. Northern Cardinals’ calls are sharp and usually a loud repeated chip. These could be used to ward off predators, indicate an approach, or urge chicks out of the nest. Mated cardinal pairs share song phrases, but the female’s song is often longer and more complex. 

While Northern Cardinals do not call Portland home, look out for them on your travels or listen for their distinctive song. For me, and perhaps others as well, cardinals are a somewhat nostalgic reminder of home, and I look forward to seeing a flash of bright red through the underbrush. 

Photograph provided by Hickory Knolls Discovery Center