A female (left) and male northern cardinal. Adobe Stock image

Northern cardinals are a feast for the eyes year-round in Texas, but in the bleak mid-winter, large flocks brighten the Highland Lakes’ seasonally lackluster landscape with fiery flashes of red feathers. Along with this burst of color, the birds also brighten spirits with complex songs and frequent, funny fights with shiny surfaces.

The northern cardinal is a treasured symbol in many cultures. The cheery bird’s name comes from the red robes worn by cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church. The word “cardinal” has Latin roots: Cardo means hinge—as in the hinge on the doorway between Heaven and Earth. 

The bird is a folklore favorite, thought to serve as a messenger between the living and the dead.

“When cardinals are here, angels are near” is one common quip. 

In some cultures, they are also considered matchmakers and harbingers of good luck and hope. 

The northern cardinal is easily identifiable, particulary the male with its red feathers; red-orange, cone-shaped beak; and black mask and bib. Being dimorphic, males and females differ in appearance. The female northern cardinal is light brown with reddish accents on the wings, crest, and tail. A juvenile cardinal of either gender looks much like the female and has a black beak. 

The birds molt each year, gradually losing and regrowing feathers. Molting begins in late summer or early fall when pairs have formed and the breeding season wraps up. During the molting period, cardinals can look pretty ragged, sometimes having missing tail feathers, bald patches, or even a bald head

The northern cardinal is a songbird with a vast vocabulary of at least 16 different calls and several complex songs. Songbirds are equipped with a series of muscles that give them better control of the syrinx (special vocal organ). The female cardinal is one of the most vocal of songbirds. Many of her calls and songs are made while on the nest to let the male know to bring food or when a predator is near. Mated pairs share song phrases; however, the female’s is usually more complex and a little longer. 

Of all the sounds cardinals are capable of making, the most common is reported to be a loud, metallic “chip” call used for a variety of reasons, including encouraging the young to leave the nest. 

Cardinals typically live year-round in one location. Their diet includes seeds, insects, and fruits. The carotenoids in fruit give the birds their rich, red color. During the winter, they turn to seeds for their primary food source, which they forage on open ground.

Cardinals prefer areas of thick foliage for nesting. Once a pair has mated and a location is chosen, nest building begins. Both males and females will collect materials, but the female is the builder. 

A cup-shaped nest made of roots, twigs, and stems with a tightly woven lining of grass or hair is constructed over a period of several days. A new nest is made for each brood, and a mating pair will often have two or three broods, or clutches, a year. 

Clutch size can range from two to five small, splotched eggs. Both parents feed the nestlings. Males watch over a young brood while females sit on a second clutch in a new nest.

A male cardinal feeds its young. Adobe Stock image

Considered monogamous, cardinals stay with a chosen mate for at least a year and often longer. They are extremely territorial and will vigorously defend their turf, even from their own reflection, which they perceive to be a trespasser. 

Cardinals are somewhat tolerant of people and are frequent visitors to backyard bird feeders, particularly if their favorite black oil sunflower seeds are on the menu. They aren’t picky eaters, however, and will dine on most seeds as well as crushed peanuts and cracked corn. The birds seem to prefer sturdy hopper or platform feeders. 

Cardinals have been beloved by people for a long time, and for good reason. They are beautiful, talented singers, and have strong family ties. Look for that pop of brilliant red as you gaze through a window or take a winter stroll. It will bring a smile to your face and warmth to your soul.

jgreenwell@thepicayune.com

CARDINAL RULES

  • Seven states call the northern cardinal their state bird: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
  • Cardinals can live up to 15 years but usually live about three years in the wild.
  • Cardinal eggs hatch after around 12 days; the young leave the nest about 10 days later.
  • A group of cardinals are referred to as a college, deck, radiance, or Vatican.
  • During courtship, the male and female raise their heads high, sway, and sing softly. The male feeds the female.
  • Eggs are usually a whitish-blue/green with brown/purple/gray splotches.
  • The cardinal’s aggressive behavior usually coincides with hormones and tones down after the breeding season. 
  • Cardinals typically forage on the ground and in low shrubs.
  • A standing crest indicates the bird is on alert or agitated.
  • Adult cardinals weigh about 1.5 ounces.
  • Cardinals have been known to “ant,” as some other birds do. They rub themselves with an ant held in the beak to help prevent bacterial and fungal infections.