Cardinals are one of the most popular birds!
Here are 9 interesting facts about cardinals that are sure to tickle your bird brain!
1. Female Cardinals Sing A Lot
Female cardinals sing, often in a duet with their mate. Many female birds will sing less during nesting season since they'll be in the nest with the soon-to-be fledglings.
Singing from the nest can attract predators which is a no-go for nesting mothers.
Female northern cardinals also use their song to communicate from the nest regarding food needs.
2. Preferred Foraging
Despite often visiting raised feeders, cardinals actually prefer to forage for food on the ground.
They'll still eat out of hopper or tray bird feeders, though. Cardinals aren't very picky.
3. Beak-to-Beak Feeding
During courtship, males feed females seed in a kissing gesture to prove their ability to provide for a family.
4. Cardinals Don’t Migrate
Instead they remain in their territories year-round, often standing out against snow in winter.
They roost in heavy bushes and shrubs for warmth and sometimes with small groups of birds.
5. Color from Diet
The brilliant red color of male cardinals is derived from carotenoid pigments in the berries and seeds they consume.
Many birds get their coloring from the pigment in their food like flamingos, roseate spoonbills, finches, and more.
Why are female cardinals brown?
Sexual dimorphism chooses the color for male and female birds.
The males get flashy colors to attract mates while female birds get more camouflaging colors since they spend more time in the nest.
6. Bird Baldness
Sometimes cardinals lose all their head feathers at once during molting. When this happens, they have a black-skinned, vulture-like appearance.
Their molt is usually late summer to early fall. It looks kind of funny.
Their head is much smaller without feathers!
7. Seven-Time State Bird
The Northern Cardinal is the state bird of seven US states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
That’s more than any other bird!
8. Catholic Roots
The Northern Cardinals name allegedly comes from the red robes Catholic Cardinals wear.
What were they called before this?
Read more here about the etymology of their name.
9. Territorial Mirror Attacks
Cardinals are fiercely territorial. They'll spend hours attacking their own reflection in mirrors or windows, believing it to be a rival.
Using window decals and anti collision stickers might help, but it's best not to interfere.
Have you seen a Northern Cardinal lately?
Share them on the Sparkbird App! Available in the Apple App Store.
- Related: How to Use the Sparkbird App
