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The Cardinal Rules
A poll to decide America’s favorite bird might find the Northern cardinal at the top of almost everybody’s list. The South’s red bird and the Midwest’s big red is usually the most sought-after bird by the majority of folks who feed these feathered friends.
Cardinals are regal in stature and they certainly have charisma — our eyes are drawn to them as they feed, bathe and go about their daily lives. But what is it that makes us so eager to be their subjects? Part of the answer may be found in their sheer beauty, with that tall crest, sleek torso and bright red beak.
Or maybe it’s their reliability. Once they establish residence, cardinals are here to stay, through every season. Some people identify with the way cardinals match up in pairs much of the year, each brightly colored male accompanied by a more subtly colored female. And then there’s the loud and lilting song that promises, in January and February, that spring is on its way.
Bright or subtle
Some people prefer the brilliant male, while others are more taken with the female cardinal, whose red beak stands out against her golden taupe feathers. The male’s red coat not only tells other males that he owns his territory but sends a message to females as well. The brightness of his feathers advertises his skill at finding food, suggesting that he would be a good provider. The female is less vibrantly colored since she can’t afford to attract a predator’s eye while sitting on her nest.
Those brilliant feathers are the result of the carotene-rich foods in a cardinal’s diet — the red, yellow and orange pigments in fruits and seeds are deposited in their feathers.
A southern drawl
Cardinals are widespread and abundant in most of eastern and central North America, including southern Canada, and as far south as Central America. There are small populations elsewhere. In fact, cardinals can be found in all but 10 states.
Surprisingly, Northern cardinals haven’t historically been northern birds, but southern birds with adventurous genes. (The “Northern” differentiates our cardinal from related species in South America.) Until a century ago, cardinals were Dixie birds, more at home in Louisiana and Mississippi. They’re not migratory but they are “pushy.” Youngsters looking to set up their own territories flew into new areas, eventually colonizing New England and the Midwest.
Three factors are encouraging cardinals to spread out: warmer winters, changes in habitat (forests cleared for agriculture and development) and the increasing popularity of backyard bird feeding. Fortunately for cardinal fans, these birds are not migratory but live all year within a fairly small area.
Feeder fans
Although they’ve traditionally searched for food on the ground, cardinals have adapted to man-made feeders, and now are a familiar sight as they dine on black oil sunflower or safflower seeds. Unlike birds that dash in, grab a seed and dash off, cardinals are slow, deliberate diners. They pick up a seed in that big red beak, turn it around a few times, seemingly lost in thought, then crack the shell and swallow the meat. There’s a pause before selecting the next morsel, too.
Cardinals aren’t demanding birds. Provide a steady diet of sunflower seeds, a reliable source of water and thick shrubbery or evergreens for hiding and sleeping, and they’re content.
There’s nothing more spectacular at dusk on a winter’s day than watching as six, 10, even 20 cardinals drop down from nearby trees to snack on or under feeders. Their strong territorial instincts are loosened in winter and they tend to “flock up” late in the day.
Cardinals appreciate a birdbath in all seasons. They bathe often and, like all seed-eaters, need frequent drinks of water. A heated birdbath in winter will attract numerous cardinals, a wonderful sight in a winter landscape. — Val Cunningham