NORTHERN CARDINAL GALLERY
(Cardinalis cardinalis)

The male Northern Cardinal is an all-red bird with a black mask that extends from the face down to the chin and throat.  It has a large red bill and crest.  The female is buff brown with tinges of red on her crest and wings, but has the same black mask and red bill as the male.  These are familiar backyard birds.  During courtship, you will find the male feeding the female.  They are very territorial in the spring, but not during the winter, when they gather in small flocks of up to 20 birds.  Both the male and female sing and can be heard anytime of the year.  Listen for their “whata-cheer-cheer-cheer” territorial call in the spring.

As I began my journey as birdwatcher in earnest (during the 2020 pandemic), I was instantly amazed at how many Northern Cardinals I began to see.  Not only does their bright color facilitate seeing them, their sheer numbers are amazing, especially in bird sanctuaries.  In my short time on this journey, I already have hundreds of pictures of Northern Cardinals.  Birdwatchers have a saying “You can never have enough pictures of Cardinals”!  So, I will try to periodically add to and rotate my Cardinal Pictures, in the hope that you enjoy them as much as I do!

Comal River (end of Union Street), April 8, 2020.
Dry Comal Nature Trail, April 8, 2020.
In my yard at 876 Lakeview Trail, McQueeney, April 9, 2020.
Male/female pair, end of Lakeview Trail, April 9, 2020.
Near Berridge fence, April 9, 2020.
Female on Berridge fence, April 9, 2020.
On Betty's backyard fence, April 14, 2020.
Male/female pair, Old Barn, Warbler Woods Sanctuary, April 16, 2020.
Female at Thomas' Meadows water feature, Warbler Woods Sanctuary, April 16, 2020.

Northern Cardinal “Cool Facts” From All About Birds…

  • Only a few female North American songbirds sing, but the female Northern Cardinal does, and often while sitting on the nest. This may give the male information about when to bring food to the nest. A mated pair shares song phrases, but the female may sing a longer and slightly more complex song than the male.
  • Many people are perplexed each spring by the sight of a cardinal attacking its reflection in a window, car mirror, or shiny bumper. Both males and females do this, and most often in spring and early summer when they are obsessed with defending their territory against any intruders. Birds may spend hours fighting these intruders without giving up. A few weeks later, as levels of aggressive hormones subside, these attacks should end (though one female kept up this behavior every day or so for six months without stopping).
  • The male cardinal fiercely defends its breeding territory from other males. When a male sees its reflection in glass surfaces, it frequently will spend hours fighting the imaginary intruder.
  • A perennial favorite among people, the Northern Cardinal is the state bird of seven states.
  • The oldest recorded Northern Cardinal was a female, and was 15 years, 9 months old when she was found in Pennsylvania.