The northern Cardinal, so named because of its brilliant plumage, is a hardy bird that is capable of living in nearly any environment.
It is, in the United States, the bird which has been chosen most often for the state bird, and is the state bird of seven different states there.
It is very common in wintertime, roosting in pine trees and sighted several times daily at bird feeders throughout the Midwest to the extreme northeast states of New York and New England.
Physical Characteristics
The cardinal emits a series of long crystal clear whistling sounds, which have been recorded over the years as one of the most pleasant bird songs.
It is remarkable in its ability to sing from the nest, which researchers believe is the females method of keeping in contact with her mate and letting him know where to bring in the food for the nestlings.
Male cardinals stay with the female during her nesting, which is uncommon for many bird species. He will supply food for both mother and nestling .
The mated pair shares phrases in song, which may be their methods of calling to each other. Cardinals mate for entire seasons, spending them together.. Some do mate for life, however their lifespan is not a great deal longer than a year in most cases.
The male cardinal will very ferociously defend its territory from other birds, and often, when its sees its reflection in a window or other reflecting device, will duel with the other bird for literally hours.
Although the reasons for this are not known, the more brilliant the coloring of the male cardinal, the better its territory, it is more lush and dense with vegetation, it will also breed with better success than the males of a duller color and feeds more frequently and with a higher rate.
The Cardinal is one of the few birds who have increased their range and numbers of the last 100 years, benefiting from such things as bird feeders and national parklands inhabitation of humans.
In one state alone, California, it is listed as a species of concern, due to habitat loss. Find out more about the Cardinal over at Wikipedia
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